Home › DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria of Mental Disorders › Cognitive Disorders ›

Delirium

Diagnostic Criteria

  1. Reduced ability to maintain attention to external stimuli and to appropriately shift attention to new external stimuli. Thus at least 1 of:
    1. Questions had to be repeated because attention wandered
    2. Perseverated answers to previous questions
  2. Disorganized thinking
  3. Confusion developed over a short period of time
  4. Fluctuating level of confusion
  5. At least 2 out of 6 of:
    1. Reduced level of consciousness
    2. Perceptual disturbances
    3. Disturbance of sleep-wake cycle
    4. Increased or decreased psychomotor activity
    5. Disorientation to time, place, or person
    6. Memory impairment
  6. Either of the following:
    1. Evidence that an organic factor initiated and maintained this confusion
    2. Confusion cannot be accounted for by any nonorganic mental disorder

Associated Feature

  • Learning Problem
  • Dysarthria or Involuntary Movement
  • Hypoactivity
  • Psychosis
  • Euphoric Mood
  • Depressed Mood
  • Somatic or Sexual Dysfunction
  • Hyperactivity
  • Addiction
  • Sexually Deviant Behavior

Differential Diagnosis

Some disorders have similar or even overlapping symptoms. The clinician, therefore, in his diagnostic attempt has to differentiate against the following disorders which need to be ruled out to establish a precise diagnosis.