When psychiatric symptoms reflect medical conditions

Clin Med (Lond). 2018 Feb;18(1):80-87. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.18-1-80.

Abstract

The brain dysfunction associated with certain medical and neurological conditions can produce essentially any psychiatric symptom. This means there is always a chance that presentations thought to be 'psychiatric' are actually explained by unidentified medical pathology. This paper aims to outline an approach to minimise these missed diagnoses.

Keywords: cognition; delirium; diagnosis; encephalitis; psychiatry; psychosis.

MeSH terms

  • Cognition / physiology*
  • Delirium* / diagnosis
  • Delirium* / etiology
  • Delirium* / psychology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Diagnostic Errors / prevention & control*
  • Humans
  • Mental Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Mental Disorders / physiopathology
  • Neurologic Examination / methods
  • Physical Examination / methods