Delirium and epilepsy

Abstract

Delirium (a state of usually reversible global brain disfunction due to toxic, metabolic, or infectious causes) and epilepsy (a condition of spontaneous, recurrent paroxysmal electrical excitation or dysfunction) are becoming increasingly better understood, and hence easier to diagnose and treat. The clinical features of delirium predominantly involve subacute changes in cognition, awareness, and activity levels, behavioral disturbance, clouding consciousness, and sleep-wake cycle changes. In contrast, epilepsy involves the acute interruption of brain function, often with convulsive activity, falls, and injury. States that may share the clinical features of both, such as nonconvulsive epileptic states, are also important: the cause of brain derangement is one of excessive and abnormal electrical brain activity. In such conditions, the clinical manifestations may resemble states of delirium and confusion, and the absence of convulsive clinical activity is significant. Electroencephalography remains the diagnostic test of choice: it is essential for differentiating these two conditions, enabling the distinctly different treatments and epilepsy. Ongoing research and investigation are essential to better understand the abnormal brat mechanisms underlying delirium, and to develop better tools for objective diagnosis.