Organic brain syndrome is a general term referring to many acute and chronic physical disorders that cause impaired mental function. It does not usually include psychiatric disorders. Though OBS is a common diagnosis in the elderly, it is related to disease processes and is not an inevitable part of aging.

Acute organic brain syndrome is a temporary state of mental impairment caused by intoxication, overdose or infection.

Disorders that cause injury or damage to the brain and contribute to OBS include, but are not limited to:

• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Concussion
• Encephalitis
• Epilepsy
• Fetal alcohol syndrome
• Hypoxia
• Intoxication/Overdose caused by Drug abuse or Alcoholism
• Intracranial Hemorrhage/Trauma
• Korsakoff Syndrome
• Meningitis
• Stroke/Transient ischemic attack(TIA)
• Withdrawal from Drugs/Alcohol

Other conditions that may be related to organic brain syndrome include: clinical depression, neuroses, and psychoses, which may occur simultaneously with the OBS.

Symptoms of OBS vary with the disease that is responsible. However, the more common symptoms of OBS are confusion; impairment of memory, judgement, and intellectual function; dementia; delirium and agitation. Often these symptoms are contributed to psychiatric illness, which causes a difficulty in diagnosis.

Treatment of OBS varies with the causitive disorder or disease.

• Chronic organic brain syndrome
• OBS
• Organic mental disorder

• Medline Plus. 10 Aug. 2004. Medline Plus. 30 May 2006

• AllRefer Health.com. 13 December 2006.

• Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary 19th Ed. Edited by Donald Venes, M.D., M.S.J. Philidelphia: F.A. Davis Co. 1997. 1517-18.

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