Delirium

Delirium is a medical condition characterized by acute-onset deficits in attention and other aspects of cognition.¹ Various terms have been used in the past for this constellation of symptoms, e.g., ‘acute confusional state’, and ‘organic brain syndrome’.¹ This inconsistency of definition over the years has hindered research into delirium.¹

References:
1. Wilson JE, Mart MF, Cunningham C, et al. Delirium. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2020; 6 (1): 90.

2. Adamis D, Treloar A, Martin FC, Macdonald AJ. A brief review of the history of delirium as a mental disorder. Hist Psychiatry 2007; 18: 459–469.

3. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – fifth edition text revision. American Psychiatric Association; 2022.