Organic brain syndromes

Increased CNS depressant effects Increased effect of amphetamines Delusions, hostility Excessive anticholinergic effects Increased antiarrhythmic effect Decreased antihypertensive efficacy Acute organic brain syndrome... 

Of particular importance in the geriatric patient Case reports of organic brain syndrome, cognitive impairment, ataxia, cerebellar dysfunction, AV block, edema, tremor, renal impairment, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, urinary frequency, hypothyroidism, leukocytosis, weight gain... 

Unlabeled Uses Prevention of migraine treatment of behavior disorders in Alzheimer s disease bipolar disorder chorea, myoclonic, simple partial, and tonic-clonic seizures organic brain syndrome schizophrenia status epilepticus tardive dyskinesia... 

In the amounts given to the experimental subjects at Edgewood, It Is highly unlikely that major chronic organic brain syndrome developed, Inasmuch as no status epileptlcus or cerebral hemorrhage... 

It is indicated in organic brain syndrome, intellectual impairment of senility, encephalitis, alcohol withdrawal state and perinatal distress, cerebrovascular accidents, and organic psychosyndrome. 

Occasionally, OCD is also associated with organic brain syndromes, epilepsy, and other disorders of the basal ganglia. 

Rada RT, Kellner R. Thiothixene in the treatment of geriatric patients with chronic organic brain syndrome. J Am Geriatr Soc 1976 24 105-107. 

Severe organic brain syndrome has been seen in six patients taking long-term glucocorticoids (SEDA-3, 304). The manifestations included confusion, disorientation, apathy, confabulation, irrelevant speech, and slow thinking the symptoms occurred abruptly. 

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists several distinct criteria necessary for a diagnosis of schizophrenia.5 These criteria include a marked disturbance in the thought process, which may include bizarre delusions and auditory hallucinations (i.e., hearing voices ). Also, a decreased level of function in work, social relations, and self-care may be present. Other factors include the duration of these and additional symptoms (at least 6 months) and a differential diagnosis from other forms of mental illness (such as affective disorders and organic brain syndrome). 

An organic brain syndrome associated with prolonged, heavy ingestion of alcohol characterized by impairment of short- and long-term memory, abstract thinking and judgement. 

A clinical study of hospitalized drug-treated patients found many suffering from mental deterioration typical of a chronic organic brain syndrome that the researchers labeled dysmentia (Wilson et ah, 1983). Tardive dysmentia consists of unstable mood, loud speech, and [inappropriately close] approach to the examiner. It is probably a variant of hypomanic dementia.1 The mental abnormalities in the study by Wilson et al. (1983) correlated positively with TD symptoms measured on the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale. In addition, length of neuroleptic treatment correlated with three measures of dementia unstable mood, loud speech, and euphoria. The authors stated, It is our hypothesis that certain of the behavioral changes observed in schizophrenic patients over time represent a behavioral equivalent of tardive dyskinesia, which we will call tardive dysmentia (p. 188). The tendency in the literature, perhaps in search of a euphemism, has been to use the term tardive dysmentia even when a full-blown dementing syndrome is described. 

From the brain-disabling viewpoint, anticholinergic drugs can cause confusion, organic brain syndromes, and psychoses. Far too little attention has been paid to their adverse effects on memory and learning, which can interfere with everyday living, rehabilitation, or school (Marcus et al., 1988 McEvoy, 1987). Furthermore, there is concern that the use of these drugs increases the risk of TD (APA, 1992). 

At the June 1985 Consensus Conference on ECT, critics and advocates of ECT debated the issue of efficacy. The advocates were unable to come forth with a single study showing that ECT had a positive effect beyond 4 weeks. Many studies showed no effect, and in the positive studies, the improvements were not dramatic. That the treatment had no positive effect after 4 weeks confirmed the brain-disabling principle since 4 weeks is the approximate time for recovery from the most mind-numbing effects of the ECT-induced acute organic brain syndrome or delirium. 

The Production of Delirium (Acute Organic Brain Syndrome)... 

After one or more shock treatments, ECT routinely produces delirium or an acute organic brain syndrome. Abrams (1988), although an advocate of the treatment, has himself observed that... 

Fink, himself a member of the 1978 and 1990 APA ECT task forces, for decades argued and demonstrated scientifically that ECT s therapeutic effect is produced by brain dysfunction and damage. He pointed out in his 1979 textbook that patients become more compliant and acquiescent with treatment (p. 139). He connected the so-called improvement with denial, disorientation (p. 165), and other signs of traumatic brain injury and an organic brain syndrome. This is a direct confirmation of the brain-disabling treatment and the use of iatrogenic denial in authoritarian psychiatry. 

Benzodiazepines are more likely to cause adverse effects in patients with HIV infection and other causes of organic brain syndrome (46). 

Kurland ML. Organic brain syndrome with propranolol. N Engl J Med 1979 300(7) 366. 

Lynch HT, Droszcz CP, Albano WA, Lynch JF. Organic brain syndrome secondary to 5-fluorouracil toxicity. Dis Colon Rectum 1981 24(2) 130-1. 

Although atenolol, a hydrophihc cardioselective beta-adrenoceptor antagonist with no partial agonist activity, is generally regarded as one of the safest beta-blockers, severe adverse effects are occasionally reported. These include profound hypotension after a single oral dose (1), organic brain syndrome (2), cholestasis (3), and cutaneous vascuhtis (4). 

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