Delirium and Acute Personality Changes
There are multiple pathophysiologic mechanisms that may cause delirium; there is no final common pathway allowing a simple approach to diagnosis or treatment. The neurobiologic basis of delirium is, therefore,…
Delirium and Acute Personality Changes (Continued)
Substance abuse very frequently leads to various confusional presentations. The use of illicit substances and overuse of alcohol are usually denied in medical settings; however, ingestion of toxins and drug…
Elder Abuse
According to the National Elder Abuse Incidence Study, in 1996 there were 551,000 documented victims of elder abuse, neglect, or self-neglect in domestic settings in the United States. Only 115,000…
Intimate Partner Abuse
There are four major categories of intimate partner abuse: (1) physical abuse, whereby physical force is used to kill, disable, injure, or otherwise hurt a partner; (2) sexual abuse, which…
Antisocial Personality Disorder
The prevalence of ASPD is estimated to be 1% to 4% of the adult general population (3% of males and 1% of females) (APA, 2000). One potential explanation for the…
Borderline Personality Disorder
Affective symptoms include extreme reactivity of mood, feelings of chronic emptiness, and inappropriate or intense anger. Impulsive symptoms include recurrent suicidal behavior, including ideation, threats, and suicide attempts, as well…
Opioid Withdrawal
Pathophysiology. Opioid tolerance and withdrawal occur as neuroadaptations to chronic opioid exposure. This neurobiology is complex, involving adaptations at all levels of opioid-sensitive brain signaling, including (1) mu-opiate receptor desensitization,…
Opioid Use Disorders
According to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 200,000 U.S. residents age 12 years and older endorse past-month heroin use, and 5.1 million residents endorse past-month prescription…
Alcohol Withdrawal
Pathophysiology. Alcohol tolerance occurs with neuroadaptations to chronic alcohol exposure. Alcohol is a sedative; chronic exposure leads to compensatory changes with reduced neurotransmission at inhibitory type A gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)…
Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorders
Screening for alcohol use disorders identifies individuals at risk for developing alcohol-related problems and those already meeting criteria for an alcohol use disorder. Evidence-based screening, brief intervention, referral to treatment…
