Cognitive Disorders Question....?

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Ernie is unable to transfer information into long-term memory due to a medical condition or long-term effect of a drug. Ernie's experience sounds most like:
a.dementia of Alzheimer's type.
b.amnestic disorder.
c.delirium.
d.aphasia
If Ernie has the ability to comprehend what he is hearing and is able to make correct short-term memory responses then aphasia is ruled out. Delerium has much more to do with cognition than it does with storage of long term memory. Both a drug induced amnestic disorder and dementia of an Alzheimer's type are possibilities but Alzheimer's patients are much more likely to have no short term memory and regress into adolescent or pre-adolescent memories of their own. So I would expect this problem to be more likely to be drug induced amnestic type of problem than any other. What psycotropics is Ernie on.

David W. MSN  (+ info)

What is the difference between Presenile Dementia compared with Amnesia and Delirium?

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As far as I can tell, an early sign of all three is short-term memory loss, but when one focuses on the presenile dementia, how does one differentiate between that and the possibility of amnesia or short-term delirium?
Dementia, which is commonly caused by Alzheimers (But also can be caused by other diseases like Parkinsons, and Head traumas, etc) is usually a permanent Condition. There is many different stages. Pre, Mid , and Late stage.
Amnesia, and Delerium are temporary conditions, and can involve memory loss short term, or long term. They are usually caused by a blow to the head, or often drugs, which is the main cause for delerium, like Hallucinogenics( 'Shrooms) , LSD, etc. These conditions are usually reversible, but in science, nothing is ever concrete, black and white. THere is exceptions for everything. Dementia really is something usually considered organic, resulting from a problem inside your brain, not from outside sources.

(Presenile DEmentia is just another word for Early Alzheimers, or Prealzheimers)  (+ info)

What's the difference between dementia and delirium for old age people?

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Delirium and Dementia are the two main types of organic brain syndrome, with focal lesions also to be considered.

The term organic brain syndrome means a general disturbance of brain function due to a physical disorder. The characteristic feature is a reduction in intellectual functioning.

If the disturbance comes on suddenly, eg in the context of a very high fever, then there will be acute organic brain syndrome, most often referred to as delirium or acute confusional state, with reduced conscious level- drowsiness- as the cardinal feature.

If however the disturbance comes on gradually, for example, in dementia due to Alzheimer's, then the reduction in intellectual functioning will occur in clear consciousness, that is, there is no drowsiness (only until the terminal stages).  (+ info)

Do anyone know of where I can find online help: Cognitive Behavior Therapy for social disorders?

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I'm looking for Cognitive Behavior Theropy that I can do online for social disorders.
Here are reference to 2 abstracts on the top
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?section=Search&Template=Search/SearchDisplay.cfm

another abstract
http://search.freefind.com/find.html?id=61207866&pageid=r&mode=ALL&n=0&query=cbt

A book for consumers about CBT
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated (Mass Market Paperback)
by David D. Burns
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380810336/sr=8-1/qid=1152669090/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-2527028-1045724?ie=UTF8  (+ info)

How does cognitive behavioral therapy help people with anxiety disorders/and or depression?

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How does it work? Any previous experience?
behavioral modification is replacing a negative behavior with a positive one. it's exposing yourself to anxiety and reinforcing it with self esteem.  (+ info)

Is it correct to compare major depression with dementia, in terms of decreased cognitive ability (reasoning,?

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. . . decision making, short-term memory loss, ability to focus on tasks, etc., many of which are the exact same symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's but with different neurological causes), when the depression has gone far beyond just a simple mood disorder?
  (+ info)

For what disorders is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy contra-indicated?

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Any help would be appreciated!
CBT works for many things. The only thing I can think of that would be contr-indicated would be when CBT does not work and there is a need for motivational interviewing because the client is not ready to change. Instead, they need to build some motivation for change. Another one would be if a person dwells on the CBT too much and it makes the condition worse, such as anxiety. In this case, I would do some work on acceptance by using ACT. Really, CBT usually is the best. If a person is in need of simply supportive therapy and becomes frustrated when a therapist teaches CBT, then listening and being there for the client would be the best option.

Buck   (+ info)

why is cognitive therapy the most common treatment of psychological disorders?

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Cognitive/Behavioral therapy is the most common because honestly, it is quick and in most cases it works. It does not focus on your past, your childhood, etc, but it focuses on training your brain to think differently. It mostly focuses on the present and the "here and now."

Insurance companies love it because it is quick and does not take years. It does not focus on your past, nor does it focus on the relationship between client and therapist. There is no "working through the transference" or dealing with resistance.

It is literally training your brain, almost like skills learning.  (+ info)

what is the difference between dementia and delirium?

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dementia is permanent and happens slowly (like Alzheimer's dementia). currently it is irreversible.
delirium can come on quickly and is reversible (can be caused by fevers, medications, dehydration, starvation, etc.)  (+ info)

Oleo - Loss of Executive Function, Cognitive Disorder, Delirium?

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Although, my observation of my wife behavior suggests a loss in her ability to plan, organize, sequence, or deal with abstract information I have not seen any self care issues. Unless her hair, which I would just marked up as normal female compulsive behavior, except for the damage and the repetitive nature of her colorings and bleaching. Further she has shown a symptom of Aphasia. It may have remained hidden from me for 13 years because I chalked it up to a lack of education but there has been no advancement in her language and reading skills for 13 years. So, my question to you sir is this; based on my first two questions can a person with this history begin to cause a cognitive dysfunctional problem to themselves?
I read your questions and will throw out some info even though I'm not Oleo.

Bipolar is a progressive disease that causes loss of grey and white brain matter. It's not clear exactly what is going on but neurotransmitters, GABA, chloride channels and other neurological systems are implicated. Executive functioning can be hit hard if the illness is left untreated and kindles (gets worse). Most of the cognitive impairment is specific to an episode. Manage the illness, nearly if not all executive brain function returns. Bipolar is about affect which includes cognition, mood, behavior and so forth. It is not just emotional.

The average time to find the right meds is 1-2 years. It is trial and error based on your psychiatrist's experience and the ability of the person to explain what they are experiencing. Explaining can be very difficult because insight can be hindered and if it's something one has lived with for years, it's difficult to recall anything different. It can be slow and insideously creep up on you. There is every possibility that your wife has been self-medicating for years - drinking, doping to quiet the noise in her head, excess energy in her veins, and dispair in her heart.

Medication often has side effects. Some are minor given the non-medicated option - loss of hair, some nausea, weight gain, etc. Not great, but not life significant. Other effects can be debilitating. One of those is severe cognitive dulling or impairment. For example, I have literally been turned into a box of rocks for brains by one combo. Lamictal often is side effect free, but I ran into a lot of cognitive dulling over 200mg. These are unacceptable side effects. Seroquel can be great for some and extremely sedating for others. Living life as a zombie is another unacceptable side effect.

If your wife is drinking on these meds, she's screwing herself and precluding the medication from doing it's job. It is impossible to tell if the cocktail is right, just needs dose changes, or is all wrong. Alcohol severely messes with the head while on head meds.

My advise is to find a psychiatrist well versed in comorbid substance abuse who will get your wife into a detox center with a long enough stay for the right medication to show some positive gains (i.e. meaningful incentive to stay sober).

Since you say her mood isn't all over the map, I'd also bet that she's dealing with some flavor of mixed state that in itself scrambles brains - racing thoughts, impaired judgment, little memory, etc, while feeling low enough to not be wildly energized. Bipolar Type II also is my guess.

If she is bipolar, no she did not think herself into this place. A disease chomped on her brain and she is doing the best she can to survive. There also is a fair chance that she doesn't have a personality disorder (borderline is one). Until her BP is managed, no one can really ascertain as much.

Get some therapy for yourself, too. What you are living through is very difficult on you and your kids very much need you to keep it together.

A good site for info on psych meds is http://www.crazymeds.us Writes up are in English with links to manufacturer Prescriber Info sheets, med research, etc. There is a talk board to ask about meds. It is not a self-help site. Meds only. Another site to ask about what your wife is dealing with is http://www.crazyboards.org That one is a self-help place. There are other self-help sites, but CrazyMeds is by far the best one I've found on meds.

~bipolar, well over a year before finding the right meds and that was w/o any substance use. And yes, I did return from scrambled brains to a reasonably high functioning life.

Btw...
"a loss in her ability to plan, organize, sequence, or deal with abstract information"

That is a good description of hypomania and/or mixed state hypomania. Same deal with the hair. Same deal with aphasia (which also can be a med side effect).

Of course, there is the compounding overlap of alcoholism. Until the drinking stops, it's impossible to say where one ends and the other begins.  (+ info)

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