Psychoses in the elderly. Senile psychosis: the path from reduced intelligence to delirium and dementia
Old age is a difficult period in a person’s life, when not only his physiological functions, but also major changes psyche.
A person's social circle narrows, health deteriorates, and cognitive abilities weaken.
It is during this period that people are most susceptible to the occurrence of mental illness, a large group of which are senile psychoses.
What is fairy tale therapy for the elderly? Learn about it from ours.
Personality characteristics of older people
According to WHO classification, old age begins in people after 60 years, this age period is divided into: old age(60-70, senile (70-90) and centenarian age (after 90 years).
Major mental problems old age:
- Narrowing the circle of communication. The person does not go to work, the children live independently and rarely visit him, many of his friends have already died.
- deficit. In an elderly person, attention, perception. According to one theory, this is due to a decrease in the possibilities of external perception, according to another, due to a lack of use of the intellect. That is, the functions die off as unnecessary.
Main question- how the person himself relates to this period and the ongoing changes. Here, his personal experiences, state of health and social status play a role.
If a person is in demand in society, then it is much easier to survive all the problems. Also, a healthy vigorous person will not feel old age.
The psychological problems of an elderly person are a reflection of social attitudes in old age. It may be positive and negative.
At positive at first glance, guardianship over the elderly, respect for their life experience and wisdom comes out. Negative expressed in a dismissive attitude towards the elderly, the perception of their experience as unnecessary and superfluous.
Psychologists distinguish the following types of people's attitudes towards their old age:
- Regression, or a return to a childish pattern of behavior. The old people demand heightened attention, show touchiness, capriciousness.
- Apathy. Old people stop communicating with others, become isolated, withdraw into themselves, and show passivity.
- The desire to join public life regardless of age and disease.
Thus, old man will behave in old age in accordance with his lived life, attitudes, acquired values.
Senile mental illness
With increasing age, the likelihood of mental illness increases. Psychiatrists say that 15% of old people acquire various mental illnesses. characteristic of old age the following types diseases:
psychoses
In medicine, psychosis is understood as a gross mental disorder in which behavioral and mental reactions do not correspond to the real state of affairs.
Senile (senile) psychoses first appear after age 65.
They make up about 20% of all cases of mental illness.
The main cause of senile psychosis, doctors call the natural aging of the body.
Provoking factors are:
- To belong to female gender . Most of the patients are women.
- Heredity. Most often, psychosis is diagnosed in people whose relatives suffered from mental disorders.
- . Some diseases provoke and aggravate the course of mental illness.
WHO in 1958 developed classification of psychoses, based on syndromic principles. There are the following types:
- . These include mania and.
- paraphrenia. The main manifestations are delusions, hallucinations.
- A state of confusion. The disorder is based on confusion.
- Somatogenic psychoses. Develop against the background somatic diseases, proceed in an acute form.
Symptoms
The clinical picture depends on the type of disease, as well as on the severity of the stage.
Symptoms of the development of acute psychosis:
- disorientation in space;
- motor excitations;
- anxiety;
- hallucinatory states;
- the emergence of crazy ideas.
Acute psychosis lasts from a few days to a month. It directly depends on the severity of the somatic disease.
postoperative psychosis refers to acute disorders psyche that occurs within a week after surgical intervention. The signs are:
- delirium, hallucinations;
- violation of orientation in space and time;
- confusion;
- motor excitement.
This state can last continuously or be combined with periods of enlightenment.
- lethargy, apathy;
- a sense of the meaninglessness of existence;
- anxiety;
- suicidal moods.
It lasts quite a long time, while the patient retains all cognitive functions.
- delirium directed towards loved ones;
- constant expectation of a dirty trick from others. It seems to the patient that they want to poison him, kill him, rob him, etc.;
- restriction of communication due to fear of being offended.
However, the patient retains self-care and socialization skills.
hallucinosis. In this state, the patient has various hallucinations: verbal, visual tactile. He hears voices, sees non-existent characters, feels touches.
The patient may communicate with these characters or try to get rid of them, for example, build barricades, wash and clean his home.
Paraphrenia. Fantastic confabulations come first. The patient talks about his connections with famous personalities, ascribes to itself non-existent merits. Also characterized by megalomania, high spirits.
Diagnostics
What to do? Consultation required for diagnosis psychiatrist and neurologist.
The psychiatrist conducts special diagnostic tests, prescribes tests. The basis for the diagnosis are:
- Stability occurrence of symptoms. They occur with a certain frequency, do not differ in variety.
For psychoses are not characterized by gross disorders of the intellect, they increase gradually as the disease progresses.
Treatment
Treatment of senile psychosis combines medical and psychotherapeutic methods. The choice depends on the severity of the condition, the type of disorder, the presence of somatic diseases. Patients are discharged following groups drugs:
The doctor selects a combination of drugs according to the type of psychosis.
Also, in parallel, it is necessary to treat a somatic disease, if it appeared cause of the disorder.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapeutic classes are excellent tool for the correction of psychosis in the elderly. In combination with drug therapy they give positive results.
Physicians generally use group lessons. Old people, being engaged in groups, acquire new circle communication with common interests. A person can start talking openly about his problems, fears, thereby getting rid of them.
Most effective methods psychotherapy:
Senile psychoses This is a problem not only for the patient himself, but also for his relatives. With timely and correct treatment, the prognosis of senile psychosis is favorable. Even with severe symptoms manages to achieve stable remission. Chronic psychoses, especially those associated with depression, are more difficult to treat.
Relatives of the patient need to be patient, show care and attention. A mental disorder is a consequence of the aging of the body, so not a single person is immune from it.
- a group of psychotic conditions that occur in people over 60 years of age and are not accompanied by rapid development profound dementia. They differ in etiology and symptoms, can be acute or chronic. They are manifested by clouding of consciousness, disorders resembling the clinical picture of schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder. Paranoid, hallucinatory and hallucinatory-delusional states are possible. They are diagnosed by a psychiatrist on the basis of an anamnesis, a survey of the patient and his relatives. Treatment includes antipsychotics, tranquilizers, nootropics, therapy for concomitant somatic pathology.
Treatment of senile psychoses
The basis of treatment is drug therapy. Patients are prescribed neuroleptics, antidepressants, sedatives. When choosing a drug and determining the dosage, take into account age change reactions to the action of drugs and an increase in the likelihood of side effects. The treatment program must be supplemented with nootropics. At the same time, somatic diseases are treated, the general condition of the patient is corrected, and careful care is taken.
Forecast and prevention
Forecast at timely therapy acute senile psychosis favorable, with late start treatment and severe symptoms the outcome is the formation of a psychoorganic syndrome. Chronic forms of senile disorders psychotic level considered as prognostically unfavorable in terms of recovery. Remission on the background of treatment is sometimes noted in Bonnet hallucinosis, senile depression, with other disorders, a decrease in the intensity of the manifestations of the disease is possible. Specific prophylaxis absent. To non-specific preventive measures mental hygiene, stress avoidance, timely treatment somatic diseases and early referral to a psychiatrist when signs of mental disorders appear.
Description:
Unfortunately, there is no cure for dementia. Psychology, as a science, is still studying senial. In the treatment of senile psychosis, symptomatic therapy. In a state of confusion with anxiety, antipsychotics with a sedative effect (tizercin, sonapax) are prescribed in small dosages. If the patient has Then small doses of antidepressants are prescribed along with sedatives (pyrazidol, amitriptyline). With anxiety and loss of sleep, tranquilizers and neuroleptics with hypnotic properties (phenazepam, chlorprothixene, radedorm) are prescribed. Patient care is also essential.
Symptoms:
The initial symptoms of the manifestation of senile psychosis are an increasing change in personality. This is stinginess, and egocentrism, and coarsening. The individuality of the patient's character is lost. At the same time, the level of judgment decreases in the patient, he is not able to acquire new knowledge and skills, memory gradually fades away (first recently acquired, and then experience acquired throughout life), false memories arise, speech becomes laconic. Only basic physical needs remain. Against the background of dementia, psychotic states alternate - anxious or angry depression, material damage, jealousy. In patients, consciousness is confused when combined with a somatic disease.
Occur in patients with depression. They are not severe, but last a long time and are characterized by discontent, sullenness and hypochondriacal diseases.
Somatic diseases aggravate the course of psychosis. Women are most affected by this disease. The risk of the disease increases if someone in your family has been sick or is sick with this type of disease. Average age the patient at the onset of the disease is from seventy to seventy-eight years.
Causes of occurrence:
The etiology, pathogenesis of senile dementia is unknown. Women get sick more often than men. The risk of disease in families of patients with senile dementia is higher than among the rest of the population. Concomitant somatic diseases modify and aggravate the picture of psychosis.
Treatment:
For treatment appoint:
Unfortunately, there is no cure for dementia. Psychology, as a science, is still studying senile psychosis. In the treatment of senile psychosis, symptomatic therapy is carried out. In a state of confusion with anxiety, antipsychotics with a sedative effect (tizercin, sonapax) are prescribed in small dosages. If the patient is depressed. Then small doses of antidepressants are prescribed along with sedatives (pyrazidol, amitriptyline). With anxiety and loss of sleep, tranquilizers and antipsychotics with a hypnotic property (phenazepam, chlorprothixene, radedorm) are prescribed. Patient care is also essential.
It is useful to know that this group of diseases affects mental health those over 60 years of age. With psychoses of this type, total dementia never develops, which cannot be said about senile dementia.
There are acute forms of psychoses that manifest themselves in old age, which make themselves felt in a state of clouding of consciousness. Chronic ones are also distinguished, which manifest themselves in the form of hallucinatory, depressive and other conditions.
Acute forms of psychosis are most often observed.
The cause of these psychoses, most often, are chronic, acute diseases respiratory tract human, hypovitaminosis, heart failure, diseases genitourinary system. It is not excluded the occurrence of a mental illness associated with sleep disturbance, physical inactivity, hearing loss or vision loss, lack of adequate nutrition.
Often, it is difficult to determine a somatic disease in the elderly, as a result, the mortality rate in this group of patients reaches 55%.
Main symptoms
Let's talk in more detail about how senile insanity manifests itself and what needs to be done if one of your loved ones falls ill with it.
At acute forms ah psychosis is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- It is difficult for the patient to orient in the environment.
- Helplessness arises when he tries to serve himself.
- There is rapid fatigue.
- There is no previous appetite.
- There is a sleep disorder.
- The patient is in a delusional state. Often dominated by statements related to the ideas of damage, fear, confusion.
- The duration of psychosis ranges from several days to three weeks.
- Mental illness proceeds either continuously or in the form of exacerbations, which are repeated repeatedly.
- During a short recovery, the patient suffers from adynamic asthenia.
At chronic forms psychosis, the following symptoms are manifested:
- Lethargy.
- The patient often complains of a feeling of emptiness. The present has no prospects for him. Sometimes he can feel disgust for life.
- Psychosis is accompanied by minor depressions, supported by several complaints of mental state.
- The patient's behavior is supported by delusional statements with accusations against him.
The disease lasts. There are minor memory impairments.
It is important to know that senile psychosis is established by a specialist based on the clinical picture, and treatment is carried out taking into account physical state sick person. Usually prescribed psychotropic drug. The medication is taken under the strict supervision of the attending physician.
If you suspect that your loved one has any symptom related to senile insanity, but doubt your rightness, urgently consult a doctor for advice.
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senile psychosis
Quite often, mental disorders are observed in older people. It's connected with natural process aging, in which, over time, the functional state brain.
Along with others mental illness in older people, presenile and senile psychoses are often found. They are a consequence of the death of brain cells that can occur with age. Unfortunately, senile psychosis cannot be cured completely. But at the same time, it is not recommended to abandon the treatment of senile psychosis altogether - it helps to reduce the symptoms of the disease and reduces the risk of harm to oneself and others by the patient. The likelihood of developing symptoms of psychosis depends on the age of the person - as a rule, people aged 60 and older are at risk.
As people age, they develop mainly presenile psychosis, it is also called involutional psychosis.
senile psychosis usually occurs after 65 years of age and manifests itself in the forms of depressive and paranoid disorders. Its symptoms depend on the form of manifestation.
The main cause of psychosis in the elderly is brain atrophy, but there are specific factors that affect the development of the disease.
Causes of senile psychosis
- hormonal changes (climax);
- somatic diseases (acute, chronic diseases respiratory system, heart and blood vessels);
- psychosomatic disorders associated with sleep and nutrition disorders;
- strong feelings about their own aging, often - senile depression.
The manifestation of psychosis in older people may indicate the development of dementia, Pick's disease or Alzheimer's.
Symptoms of senile psychosis
- increased anxiety and depression;
- seizures excessive suspiciousness(hypochondria);
- depressed mood, melancholy;
- the appearance of various forms of delirium, as well as hallucinations;
- lethargy or vice versa overexcitation (agitated depression);
- bouts of clouding of consciousness;
- decrease in intelligence;
- increased suggestibility, stereotyped thinking.
At the same time, psychosis gradually progresses and leads to complete disintegration mental functions brain, i.e. dementia.
Treatment of senile psychosis
As we said earlier, senile psychosis is not amenable to complete cure. The treatment of senile psychosis in the elderly does not have a specific methodology, but a properly selected complex curative measures and regular care can alleviate the patient's condition.
The consequences of progressive senile psychosis are such that an elderly person does not accept changes in his life at all, so you should not insist on placing such a person in a hospital. In this case, the most right decision there will be a call to the psychiatrist at home, especially if the patient behaves aggressively, suffers from hallucinations or delusions.
What can a psychiatrist called to the house do?
First of all, he can determine the treatment regimen, give relatives necessary recommendations related to the features of care and ensuring the safety of the patient and others. The treatment of psychosis is complex and includes the prescription of drugs, as well as cognitive rehabilitation, which helps to strengthen memory, attention and thinking and slows down the development of the disease.
Types of senile psychosis, symptoms and help with various forms of the disease
Senile psychosis (synonyms: senile dementia, senile psychosis, senile dementia, senile dementia, senile dementia) - common name cognitive disorders in the elderly, accompanied by the loss of skills and abilities acquired in the course of life, a decrease in mental and intellectual activity, due to age-related atrophic damage to the brain parenchyma, responsible for one or another type of human activity.
Regardless a wide range abilities and opportunities lost by a person, the basis of senile psychosis is always memory loss, which develops against the background of a genetic predisposition to this pathology. Atrophic foci in the brain are located in certain, localized areas, which causes different manifestation symptoms of certain diseases similar symptoms with senile dementia, but manifesting themselves in more early age: Pick's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Based on what, the symptoms of senile psychosis and its treatment are often identified with these diseases.
Pick's disease
Pick's disease is much less common than other diseases of the brain, atrophic etiology, but is characterized by a more malignant, progressive course, which relatively quickly leads to the complete disintegration of the personality. One of the synonyms of the disease is "lobar sclerosis", which is due to atrophic destruction of the cerebral cortex in the frontal and temporal lobes.
Another characteristic sign of the disease is the age at which progressive changes are activated - years, and the subsequent life expectancy does not exceed 6, less often - 8 years.
The basis of the symptoms of Pick's disease are signs of senile dementia, impaired speech and logic of thinking, often there are signs of extrapyramidal disorders - uncontrolled spontaneous movements of the skeletal muscles. Patients are characterized by a rude attitude towards others, foul language, lack of ethics in society.
Alzheimer's disease
The most common disease with symptoms of senile dementia, affecting the parietal, temporal areas of the lobes of the brain and the cingulate gyrus. Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed, on average, at the age of 65, but science knows rare cases more early illness. The disease has a strong trend towards population spread - by 2050, about 100 million cases are expected in the world, although today there are no more than 30 million.
For initial symptoms diseases are characterized by individual differences associated with the characteristics environment man and his life experience. However, regardless of the specifics of the signs, they are united by a consistent disorder and loss of short-term memory, which relatives mistakenly associate with temporary stress factors. More precise analysis behavior, cognitive tests, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results can accurately diagnose Alzheimer's disease in a patient.
At subsequent stages of the course of the disease, there is a loss of long-term memory, along with a decrease and consequent loss of body functions, which leads to death, on average, 7-9 years after diagnosis.
Symptoms and course of senile psychosis
Senile dementia, as mentioned above, can be individual disease or be one of the symptoms or stages of other diseases occurring in an earlier age period. The disease occurs in patients of years of age and is caused by several forms:
- The simple form is characterized by a sharpening of the boundaries of individual character traits: frugality turns into greed, perseverance into stubbornness and harmfulness, accuracy into excessive scrupulousness and pedantry, pedagogical inclinations into despotism, and some, especially humane, traits can completely disappear from personal behavior. cardinal change personality traits to the opposite symbolizes more severe course a simple form of senile dementia.
Patients are characterized by fixation on their person, a tendency to self-centeredness and callousness, overeating, excessive monitoring of their physiological needs, the development of indifference to loved ones, lack of tact, and similar changes.
In addition, the characteristic signs for a simple form of senile dementia are: rejection of everything new, irritation over trifles, turning into aggression and malice, childish capriciousness. Patients are often prone to vagrancy, chronic alcoholism, picking up garbage and absolutely useless things. Often there is a mania of material or financial damage on the part of people who are closest to the patient;
Increased sleepiness in daytime and excessive activity at night, combined with absurd behavior - one of the characteristic features in this period of the disease;
Senile dementia must be differentiated from vascular dementia, postoperative psychosis in the elderly and other types of dementia, where memory impairment occurs due to any external etiological factors.
Help with senile psychosis
It should be noted that atrophic lesions nerve cells are an irreversible and sustainable process, so there are no cures for senile dementia. All medical and psychotherapy is aimed at supporting the patient and some relief of the symptoms of the disease.
Psychosocial intervention in the life of the patient makes some positive adjustments to the course of the disease:
- Behavioral intervention aims to focus the patient's attention on the incorrectness and illogicality of his behavior and possible complications Consequently;
- Emotional Intervention - treatment with memories and simulation of presence. Psychotherapy is based on the impact of positive subjective memories that cause a positive mood in the patient, which helps to reduce the level of anxiety, stabilize behavior;
- Cognitive intervention is based on the forced orientation of the patient in time and space, as well as - stimulation of cognitive abilities - games that require mental load, solution theoretical tasks and puzzles;
- Stimulating intervention with art therapy, listening to music, contact with pets.
Caring for people with dementia, especially those with final stages course - very difficult emotionally and physically, work, which is aggravated by the gradual loss of self-service skills in the patient. But, in spite of everything, it is necessary to create such a favorable emotional environment for the patient, which will not provoke an increase in the symptoms of the disease.
Senile psychosis: the path from reduced intelligence to delirium and dementia
Senile psychosis is a group of diseases of a mental nature that usually develops in people around the age of 60 years.
These disorders are characterized by a loss to some extent intellectual abilities, skills acquired throughout life, a decrease in mental activity.
The symptomatology of this group of diseases is of a psychotic type, which is important, the intellect can be fully preserved in a person. Very often the disease occurs in the form of depression or delusional disorder.
Less often, the problem can manifest itself as anxiety, speech disorders, confusion. Thus, there is a partial clouding of consciousness as a result of disorders in the activity of the central nervous system (central nervous system).
IN medical practice There are two types of development of senile psychosis:
- acute senile syndrome, characterized by clouding of consciousness, disadaptation in society and loss of personality;
- chronic senile psychosis, which manifests itself in the form of depression, hallucinations, the condition can be paraphrenic, hallucinatory-paranoid.
Causes of the disease
The etiology and pathogenesis of senile psychosis are not yet well understood. According to statistics, women are more prone to this problem than men. The risk of the disease increases if the family already had precedents of senile psychosis, that is hereditary factor plays a big role.
The main reasons for the development of the disease are:
- gradual age-related death of cell groups;
- degenerative processes in the brain;
- various infectious diseases can affect the development of the disease;
- somatic pathologies;
- traumatic brain injury;
- traumatic circumstances.
Also, the pathogenesis can be affected by:
- hypodynamia;
- sleep disorders;
- malnutrition (incorrect diet);
- hearing and vision problems.
Clinical picture
In the event that senile psychosis occurs as depression, such a state is characterized by delusions, increased anxiety, general depression of mood, suicidal tendencies, "self-destruction".
Psychoses are characterized by disorders accompanied by jealousy, persecution, and prejudice. So, the main "victims" of a suffering old man can be relatives and friends, neighbors, others, as they can be accused of theft, damage to their property, etc.
Senile psychosis in its acute form is quite common, its symptoms appear mainly in people undergoing treatment with somatic and mental disorders. It is in the process of complications of these diseases that an impetus to the development of psychoses appears.
Symptoms of acute psychosis are:
- clouding of consciousness;
- motor excitation;
- fussiness;
- lack of coordinated action;
- delusional disorders;
- hallucinations (verbal, visual, tactile);
- unfounded fears;
- anxiety.
This type of course of the disease can be observed for several weeks, and can proceed continuously as recurring relapses.
The development of acute psychosis can be determined by the presence of some symptoms:
- loss of appetite;
- sleep disturbance;
- disorientation in space, which is episodic;
- severe fatigue;
- helplessness;
- self service problems.
Further clouding of consciousness is followed by amnesia. The clinical picture is fragmentary. Patients may experience physical activity, and different forms clouding of consciousness (amentia, delirium, stunning), which occur both singly and in combination.
Chronic senile psychosis is observed mainly in older women. In mild forms, there may be:
Against the background of the course of the disease, there may be unreasonable feeling guilt, hypochondria, anxiety. Such a disease occurs with a slight manifestation of a mental disorder, which over time suppresses the functions of the body.
Such sluggish depressions in some cases can lead to suicide. Psychosis can develop over 10 years, with only minor memory impairment present.
Diagnostic criteria
On early stages it is almost impossible to determine the presence of the disease, since it has a lot of symptoms similar to other pathologies: of cardio-vascular system, tumors and other problems.
The reason for the diagnosis is the progressive impoverishment of the psyche, leading in a few years to irreversible dementia.
A trip to the doctor is mandatory if the patient has a number of factors: disorders for more than six months, leading to violations of social, professional, daily activities. At the same time, a person has a completely clear consciousness, there are no mental disorders that could lead to a decrease in intelligence.
Differential diagnosis
Differential diagnosis helps to distinguish senile syndrome from similar diseases, such as schizophrenia.
Dementia is often accompanied by depressive disorders (pseudo-dementia), so it is quite difficult to differentiate the disease.
Package of measures
After clinical picture has been studied and accurate diagnosis, you can begin to treat the patient. With the permission of the relatives of the patient, he is placed in a medical facility.
The main goal of treatment is to stop the development of the disease, symptomatic treatment and alleviation of these characteristic symptoms.
In the case of depression, a specialist may prescribe psychotropic drugs such as Melipramine, Pyrazidol, Azafen. In some cases, drugs can be combined at a certain dose. For all other types of senile psychosis, Propazine, Sonapax, Haloperidol is prescribed.
In each case, the patient is prescribed an individually selected drug and additionally medicines that correct associated symptoms.
Tellingly, the acute form of senile psychosis is more successfully treated. A protracted disease can only be muffled medicines, but it is impossible to get rid of it completely.
What should relatives and friends do?
For supporting mental state a patient who has been diagnosed with senile psychosis, his relatives and friends around him should be sympathetic to the current situation and understand that this process is inevitable and incurable. This disease is objective and does not depend on the patient at all.
In severe cases of senile psychosis, patients need special care, which is best organized in medical institution. If the patient is inactive, bedsores may appear, which will significantly worsen the state of health.
Patients who are characterized by untidiness require special care. Yes, relatives or medical staff(depending on the location of the patient) are required to wipe it with camphor alcohol, wash it regularly, change bed linen and prevent sleeping on a wet bed. Cleansing enemas should also be regular.
What to expect?
The most favorable prognosis is given to patients with an acute form of the disease, especially if medical care turned in time, and the consciousness was not in a state of stupefaction for long.
The chronic form does not entail anything good and the prognosis in this case is not consoling: the disease develops from one to ten years and the later this process begins, the better, since in the end the disease ends with cachexia, problems with making movements and even building phrases and pronunciation of words.
Experts believe that if prevention of senile psychosis is started at the age of 35, then in the future, a person will be able to avoid such a disease:
This section was created to take care of those who need qualified specialist without disturbing the usual rhythm of their own lives.
Senile psychosis is a collective term that includes a group of mental disorders that occur in people over 60 years of age. It is accompanied by confusion and states of the type of schizophrenia, and also in books they write that senile psychosis and senile dementia are one and the same. But this assumption is wrong. Senile psychosis provokes dementia, but it will not be complete. In addition, the main symptoms of the disease resemble Although the mind often remains normal.
Causes
The main reason why senile psychosis appears is the gradual destruction of brain cells. But the reason does not lie only in old age, since not everyone has it. Sometimes genetics are involved. It was noted that if there were cases of such a disease in the family, then it is quite possible that you will also have it.
Senile psychosis has 2 forms. The first is acute, the second is chronic. What are they characterized by? The acute form is accompanied by clouding of the mind, and the chronic form is accompanied by paranoid, depressive, hallucinatory and paraphrenic psychoses. No matter how old you are, treatment is mandatory for everyone.
Causes of senile psychosis
Let's consider them in more detail than mentioned above. So the reasons disease-causing old age, the following:
- Diseases of the respiratory system.
- Insufficient intake of vitamins.
- Heart failure.
- Diseases of the urinary tract.
- Surgical interventions.
- Sleep problems.
- Physical inactivity.
- Unbalanced nutrition.
- Problems with vision or hearing.
Now consider what constitutes senile dementia (symptoms, treatment). How long do people live with this disease? We will answer this question in more detail below.
General symptoms of senile psychosis
- Slow course of the disease.
- Weakening of the ability to remember.
- Distorted perception of reality.
- Abrupt change of character.
- Sleep problems.
- Anxiety.
Symptoms of acute forms of psychosis
- Unconcentrated attention and difficulty orienting in space.
- Difficulty taking care of yourself.
- Fast fatiguability.
- Sleep disturbed, anxiety.
- Lack of appetite.
- Feelings of helplessness, confusion and fear.
The patient's condition is accompanied by delirium and constant expectation of trouble. All psychoses can proceed continuously or have periods of enlightenment. The duration of the illness is about 4 weeks, as was written above.
Symptoms of chronic forms
- Depression.
- Feelings of worthlessness.
- Mild depression.
- Self-blame.
In different cases, the symptoms may be combined in different ways. Because of this, it is very difficult to recognize this pathology.
Acute forms of senile psychosis
Occur against the background of somatic diseases, for which they are called bodily. Anything can cause a disorder, from a lack of vitamins and trace elements to problems with hearing and visual apparatus.
Since the health of the elderly is undermined, they often try not to go to the hospital, diseases are diagnosed belatedly. And this turns into problems in the treatment of dementia. All of the above once again shows how important it is to timely diagnose the diseases of old people and treat them. Otherwise, irreparable harm may be done to them.
The acute form develops suddenly, but sometimes it is preceded by a prodrome from 1 to 3 days.
At this time, a person has a feeling of weakness and problems with maintaining personal hygiene, confusion, hallucinations occur. Then comes the attack
During the latter, a person has chaotic movements and anxiety, confused thinking. Delusions and thoughts appear that they want to take his life, take away his property, etc. Sometimes there are hallucinations and delusions, but they are few and permanent. In a number of cases, when senile psychosis occurs, the symptoms of existing diseases of the body become aggravated.
Psychosis lasts about 3-4 weeks. Its course is either continuous or with remissions. Treated only in the hospital.
Chronic forms of senile psychosis
What is chronic psychosis? We will now analyze the symptoms and signs of the disease. depressive states is one of the first symptoms of the disease.
They are found mainly in women. If the degree of the disease is mild, then there are: weakness, lack of desire to do something, a feeling of meaninglessness, uselessness. If the patient's condition is severe, then anxiety appears, deep depression, delirium of self-flagellation, agitation. The duration of the disease is 13-18 years. The memory is practically preserved.
paranoid states
This pathology is referred to as a disease of senile age. Its peculiarity is in constant delirium, which pours out on its own relatives or neighbors. A sick person claims that they do not allow him to live in peace in his own apartment, they want to kick him out of it, kill, poison, etc. He believes that things are being taken away from him.
If a person has a separate room, he locks himself there and does not let anyone in there. But, fortunately, with this variety, a person can take care of himself on his own. In a paranoid state, socialization is preserved, since the disease develops for a long time.
Hallucinosis
Hallucinosis is also psychosis. Symptoms and signs of it vary depending on the type: verbal, tactile and visual.
With verbal hallucinosis, a person develops verbal delusions: intimidation, sacrilege, obscene language, etc. During an attack, a person loses control over himself, confusion and chaotic movements appear. At other times, hallucinations are evaluated critically by the patient himself. The age at which the disease occurs is mainly 71 years. This disease is distinguished in the group of "psychoses of late age".
With visual hallucinosis, a person has hallucinations. At first they are few and flat gray color. After a few minutes, the visions become larger, they acquire color and volume. Characters of hallucinations are mostly unusual living beings, animals, less often people. Man is aware of his own disease state and tries not to succumb to hallucinations. Although sometimes there are situations when the images seem so realistic that the patient still follows their lead and does what he sees in them - he can talk with their heroes. Mostly people from 81 years old get sick.
With tactile hallucinosis, there are complaints of burning and itching on the skin, as well as sensations as if from bites. The patient thinks that ticks and bugs are crawling on his skin, or he feels sand on his body or stones. Visual images are often added to the sensations: he sees ants crawling on himself, etc. A sick person wants to remove discomfort with all his might: he rinses his hands all the time, consults a skin doctor, etc. These hallucinations are observed between the ages of 49 and 66 years.
Hallucinatory-paranoid states
With this psychosis are combined and paranoid. The disease appears at the age of 60, lasts about 16 years. Clinical manifestations proceed according to the type of schizophrenia: a person hears voices, sees images, performs incomprehensible actions. Memory saved in initial period illness. Violations become noticeable in the later stages.
Confabulations
Typical disorders of the elderly, so to speak, features of old age. In this case, the patient shows a complete restructuring of the personality, and real and fictional events are confused. The person believes that he knows the president and is friends with some celebrity. From this arises
Pathology develops at the age of 71 years. Memory is broken immediately.
Naturally, the destruction of the psyche is considered an inevitable process in old age, and yet it causes great suffering both to the person himself and to his relatives. But no matter how difficult it is, we must try to fill the remaining years of the life of sick people with warmth and love.
How is senile psychosis treated?
Senile psychosis is a serious disease, and the doctor should decide whether the patient should be placed in a hospital. Of course, the consent of the relatives is required. Before starting treatment, the doctor carefully examines the patient in order to identify his general state, determine the type of psychosis and severity, the presence of somatic diseases.
If a person has depressive disorder, then they prescribe the type "Pyrazidol", etc. Sometimes several drugs are combined in certain dosages. For other types of psychosis, drugs like Propazine, Sonapax, etc. are needed. For any variant of psychosis, corrective agents are prescribed, for example, Cyclodol.
Treatment is always chosen with an individual approach. Along the way, correction of somatic disorders is carried out.
Treatment can be carried out both in specialized psychiatric clinics and in ordinary hospitals, because psychosis can occur against the background of certain diseases.
The most favorable prognosis is given for acute variants of psychosis. What are the chances of recovery chronic course? Unfortunately, the prognosis is poor. All drugs only slow down the course of the pathology for a while. Therefore, relatives need to be patient, calm and loyal. After all, dementia is an integral stage in the life of every person.
What is the life expectancy of people with senile psychosis, no one can say for sure. But on average, doctors give such patients from 6 to 11 years, depending on the state of the human body.
Conclusion
Well, we have sorted out what senile dementia is. Symptoms, treatment (how long people with this condition live, we also indicated) depend on the type of pathology and the presence of concomitant somatic diseases. Now the reader can reasonably assess what to expect from such a disease.
