General psychopathology  © Tushnik Ghosh

 

CHAPTER 9:
Organic brain diseases

 

INTRODUCTION:

INTRODUCTION:

In this chapter we will discuss about the diseases which occur as a result of primary or secondary defect of brain tissue, i.e. the diseases are organic. Though general medicine consider the division organic and functional disorder in a broad spectrum, but in some cases definite margin between them cannot be seen clearly. As an example we can take schizophrenia, which is considered as functional disorder. But sometimes we find nonspecific signs of organic changes in brain in it. ICD 10 therefore emphasizes that the term organic does not suggest that other mental diseases would not show any changes in the structure of nerve tissue.
Vital sign of organic diseases is psychoorganic syndrome (see ch. 8).
Etiological factors in organic diseases can be endogenous and exogenous. To be remembered that psychosocial factors are never the basic causes of the disorder. Some of the causes are infection, intoxication, trauma, tumor vascular diseases etc which cause organic defect in brain tissue. These are considered as conception of exogenous type of reaction.
Exogenous type deals with 1) asthenia, 2) syndromes of disturbances of consciousness, 3) hallucinosis, 4) epileptic paroxysm, 5) Korsakov s amnestic syndrome, 6) dementia.
We must consider that the above mentioned syndromes are unspecific for endogenous functional psychosis (schizophrenia and MDP). Sometimes in organic syndromes, endogenous syndromes (delusion, depression, catatonic symptoms) can be present.
Above mentioned organic syndromes, if present in a disease, tell if the disease is acute or chronic, the disease is in initial stage or in late stage.
Asthenia is observed in initial stage of disease is observed in initial period where the progress of the disease is slow. It can also be seen in reconvalescences. Massive psychological productive symptoms are seen in acute onset of the disease or its exacerbation. End stage of the disease consists of negative disorders (dementia, Korsakov s syndrome, severe personality change). In this stage, frequently seen are disturbances of insight, euphoria and kindness.
In ICD 10, organic disorders are arranged as following.
F00 F03 dementia, F04 Korsakov s syndrome, F05 delirium, F06 other productive organic psychic disorders (hallucinosis, delusion, catatonia, depression, asthenia, hysterotype symptoms), F07 personality change in organic diseases.
In the following section we will discuss different organic diseases. Epilepsy will not be covered here. epilepsy will be discussed in a separate chapter. Epilepsy is neurological disorder although having some psychoorganic symptoms.

In this chapter we will discuss about the diseases which occur as a result of primary or secondary defect of brain tissue, i.e. the diseases are organic. Though general medicine consider ' the division organic and functional disorder in a broad spectrum, but in some cases definite margin between them cannot be seen clearly. As an example we can take schizophrenia, which is considered as ' functional disorder. But sometimes we find nonspecific signs of organic changes in brain in it. ICD 10 therefore emphasizes that the term organic does not suggest that other mental diseases would not show any changes in the structure of nerve tissue.
Vital sign of organic diseases is psychoorganic syndrome (see ch. 8).
Etiological factors in organic diseases can be endogenous and exogenous. To be remembered that psychosocial factors are never the basic causes of the disorder. Some of the causes are ' infection, intoxication, trauma, tumor vascular diseases etc which cause organic defect in brain tissue. These are considered as conception of exogenous type of reaction.
Exogenous type deals with 1) asthenia, 2) syndromes of disturbances of consciousness, 3) hallucinosis, 4) epileptic paroxysm, 5) Korsakov s amnestic syndrome, 6) dementia.
We must consider that the above mentioned syndromes are unspecific for endogenous functional psychosis (schizophrenia and MDP). Sometimes in organic syndromes, endogenous syndromes ' (delusion, depression, catatonic symptoms) can be present.
Above mentioned organic syndromes, if present in a disease, tell if the disease is acute or chronic, the disease is in initial stage or in late stage.
Asthenia is observed in initial stage of disease is observed in initial period where the progress of the disease is slow. It can also be seen in reconvalescences. Massive psychological productive symptoms are seen in acute onset of the disease or its exacerbation. End stage of the disease consists of negative disorders (dementia, Korsakov s syndrome, severe personality change). In this stage, frequently seen are disturbances ' of insight, euphoria and kindness.
In ICD 10, organic disorders are arranged as following.
F00 F03 dementia, F04 Korsakov s syndrome, F05 delirium, F06 other productive organic psychic disorders (hallucinosis, delusion, catatonia, depression, asthenia, hysterotype symptoms), F07 personality change in organic diseases.
In the following section we will discuss different organic diseases. Epilepsy will not be covered here. epilepsy will be discussed in a separate chapter. Epilepsy is neurological disorder although having some psychoorganic symptoms.

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