Organic mental disorders: what are they?
There are a number of organically conditioned mental disorders . These include, for example, delirium or dementia . Organic mental disorders often have a reputation as dangerous diseases among people. However, the brain is capable of regeneration to a much greater extent than previously thought, and in many cases at least partial rehabilitation is possible .
An organic mental disorder can be the first manifestation of another disease or it can appear in the course of an already diagnosed disease as its consequence or secondary manifestation.
The difficulties are very different
Organic mental disorders are usually divided into two basic groups – depending on what causes them:
- primary brain damage – related to changes inside the brain tissue , which may be the result of a tumor , for example ,
- secondary brain damage – this occurs as a result of a disease in another part of the organism, during which, for example, neurotoxic products of metabolism (i.e. those that damage nerve cells ) are washed out.
Brain damage leads to difficulties that can have different manifestations in individual patients. This is due to the fact that each patient has different options for managing the disorder – for example, depending on age, overall health, previous and current illnesses, his personality and support from his surroundings.
Mechanisms of disease
In the case of organic mental disorders, in principle, the mechanisms of their occurrence can be described by specific groups of symptoms that often occur in people with the given disorder. Scientists have already been able to clarify the mechanisms of dementia in particular . For other organic mental disorders, however, the causes of their occurrence are not yet clear enough. The following mechanisms can lead to damage to brain tissue – and thus to brain functions:
- skull and brain injury that may be associated with bleeding ,
- cardiovascular disease , which can lead to insufficient blood flow to brain tissue ( cerebrovascular accident or stroke ),
- disorders of the immune system , e.g. as part of an autoimmune disease ( multiple sclerosis , etc.)
- infections , such as meningoencephalitis ,
- brain tumors,
- epilepsy .
Furthermore, prions (the smallest protein particles) can be considered possible triggers of organic mental disorders , but only in combination with the relevant genetic dispositions. Other possible causes also include psychotropic substances (e.g. alcohol , opiates , cannabinoids), drugs , etc.
It also depends on the type of brain damage
The following factors also play a significant role in the emergence of organic mental disorders:
- size (volume) of damaged or destroyed brain tissue,
- their location,
- way of brain damage (e.g. pressure damage due to increasing brain volume, ingress of harmful substances due to damage to the blood-brain barrier or insufficient oxygen supply ).
The more time the brain has to compensate for the organic disorder (slow damage) and the shorter the time it is affected by harmful mechanisms, the better it is able to compensate for the disorder .
