Delirium & Dementia

When we find it hard to think straight, get confused about what is happening, or struggle put sentences together, we can be "having a moment" that passes or experiencing some form of cognitive decline. The causes and forms of cognitive decline are many and varied. That can make diagnosis very difficult, which makes deciding on appropriate treatment of the problem very challenging.

On this page I will share what my partner and I are learning as she goes through the diagnosis and treatment journey. Here are some of the phenomena in play:

Rapidly Progressive Dementia (RPD) and acute delirium are two distinct, though often overlapping, conditions characterized by a sudden and severe decline in cognitive, behavioral, and physical abilities. While dementia generally develops gradually over years, RPD accelerates this process, often resulting in significant functional loss within weeks or months. Delirium, in contrast, is an acute, often reversible state of confusion that can last for days. — Google (AI) 

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