Senile psychosis is a fairly common pathological disorder caused by brain atrophy. Usually overtakes a person in old age. Of course, not all older people suffer from senile psychosis, this pathology It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen. The onset of the disease usually occurs at the age of 65-75 years. It is during this period that the first symptoms appear, to which the elderly person’s loved ones should pay attention and show the patient to a doctor.
Although the underlying causes are still not understood, scientists associate this pathology with heredity, as well as other atrophic processes in the brain. Moreover, cases of so-called familial dementia are well known, clearly traced and studied. In addition to the hereditary factor, experts associate the development of senile dementia with various chronic (acute) diseases, long-term sleep disturbances, hearing loss, and vision loss. Also cited as reasons are physical inactivity, loneliness and lack of good nutrition. How does senile psychosis develop, what are the symptoms and treatment of this disease? Let's talk about this in more detail:
Symptoms of senile psychosis
Let us immediately note that medicine distinguishes between acute forms of psychosis, manifested by a state of stupefaction, as well as chronic forms, characterized by hallucinatory, depressive, and other characteristic conditions.
All senile psychoses have one common feature - they develop slowly over a long period of time. But, despite their smooth course, they are constantly progressing. The result of this is an irreparable breakdown of the psyche, namely senile dementia.
With the development of pathology, senile psychoses begin to manifest themselves with obvious symptoms that cannot be ignored. The main ones include: pathological stinginess, emotional dullness, as well as excessive fussiness, constant night restlessness. Patients have an inability to remember, weakness in perception, and difficulties in perceiving the world around them. The character of patients gradually deteriorates.
In a chronic course, which occurs very often, periods of remission are replaced by periods of exacerbations. At the beginning of the disease, when it develops slowly and smoothly, the symptoms and signs are not clearly expressed, but they already attract attention. Although sometimes the disease develops rapidly from the very beginning.
Over time, the thinking process is increasingly destroyed, a strong change in personality occurs towards coarsening and simplification. Individual characteristics of a person become more superficial and schematic.
In some patients this is expressed in complacency and carelessness. Others become suspicious and embittered. Patients lose family ties and former attachments disappear. In some patients, elementary moral principles and attitudes disappear.
Many people consider deterioration of character to be a natural phenomenon of old age. But if your character changes radically, your personal qualities are erased, or a memory disorder appears, you should consult a doctor.
How to remove senile psychosis? Treatment
Since this pathology develops slowly, it is quite difficult to recognize atrophic processes in the brain at the first stage, since the disease can be masked behind symptoms of vascular, tumor and other diseases, which are usually always sufficient in older people.
For accurate diagnosis the patient is prescribed a series of examinations, for example, a computed tomography scan, which helps the doctor diagnose accurate diagnosis. If the symptoms of psychosis are pronounced, then diagnosis is not difficult.
Unfortunately, some special treatment This particular disease does not exist. Usually carried out symptomatic treatment, aimed at stopping the development of the disease and alleviating symptoms. The patient is also given special care.
At the onset of the disease, the patient is treated on an outpatient basis, in the usual home environment. At the same time, relatives should help the patient, activate him, and diversify his life. This means more movement, less lying on the couch. Do not protect the patient from his usual household chores.
If the disease is pronounced, especially aggression or dementia, the patient is placed in a hospital or a special boarding school.
Drug treatment of senile psychosis
When senile psychosis is diagnosed with symptoms and treatment of which we are discussing today, the patient is prescribed certain medications to improve the condition, reduce the intensity of manifestations.
In the early stages, the patient receives treatment with metabolic agents that stabilize his condition.
For disturbances, severe sleep disorders, hallucinations, delusional states, appoint psychotropic drugs. Tranquilizers are used at night. Prescribed drugs that affect cerebral circulation. Usually, drugs are selected that do not cause lethargy, weakness, and have a minimum of contraindications and side effects. In addition, all drugs are prescribed in minimal doses to avoid unwanted reactions. Social therapy and psychotherapy play an important role.
It should be noted that prevention of senile psychosis is impossible. However timely treatment internal diseases, ensuring a positive psychological attitude, attentive attitude from loved ones, significantly reduces the risk of developing this disease in older people. Be healthy!
Senile psychosis (or senile psychosis) is a group of mental illnesses of different etiologies that occur after 60 years. It manifests itself as clouding of consciousness and the emergence of various endoform disorders (resembling schizophrenia and manic-depressive psychosis). In various sources you can find information that senile psychosis is identical to senile dementia, that they are one and the same thing. But this is not entirely true. Yes, senile psychosis can be accompanied by dementia, but in this case it is not total. AND key features senile psychosis, still have the character of a psychotic disorder (sometimes the intellect remains intact).
There are acute and chronic forms of senile psychosis. Acute forms are manifested by clouding of consciousness, and chronic forms are manifested by the occurrence of paranoid, depressive, hallucinatory and paraphrenic states. Regardless of age, medical treatment such conditions are mandatory.
Acute forms of senile psychosis
Their occurrence is associated with the presence somatic diseases, that's why they are called somatogenic. The cause may be a lack of vitamins, heart failure, illness genitourinary system, diseases of the upper respiratory tract, lack of sleep, physical inactivity, decreased hearing and vision.
Such somatic diseases in older people are not always diagnosed in a timely manner, and treatment is often delayed. On this basis, an acute form of senile psychosis arises as a consequence. All this once again emphasizes how important the timely treatment of any somatic diseases in older people is - their mental health may depend on this.
Typically, the acute form of senile psychosis occurs suddenly. But, in some cases, the onset of acute psychosis is preceded by a so-called prodromal period (1-3 days).
During this period, the patient experiences weakness and problems in self-care, spatial orientation becomes difficult, appetite and sleep are disturbed. Then, in fact, the attack of acute psychosis itself occurs.
It is expressed in motor restlessness, fussiness, and confusion of thinking. Various delusional ideas and thoughts arise (the patient usually believes that they want to harm him, take away his property, etc.). Hallucinations and illusions may appear, but they are few and have a stable appearance. As a rule, when acute senile psychosis develops, the symptoms of somatic disorders that led to its development also worsen. Psychosis lasts from several days to 2-3 weeks. The disease itself can occur continuously, or it can occur in the form of periodic exacerbations. During the period between exacerbations, the patient feels weakness and apathy. Treatment of the acute form of senile psychosis is preferably carried out in a hospital.
Chronic forms of senile psychosis
There are several chronic forms, and they are determined by the key signs (symptoms) that accompany the course of the disease.
Depressive states
Depressive states (more common in women). In mild cases, there is lethargy, apathy, a feeling of the meaninglessness of the present and the futility of the future. At severe course- there is pronounced anxiety, deep depression, delirium of self-blame, agitation up to Cotard's syndrome. The duration of the disease is usually 12-17 years, and nevertheless, the patient’s memory disorders are usually not profound.
Paranoid states
They are characterized by chronic delusions, which are usually directed at the immediate environment (relatives, neighbors). The patient constantly says that he is offended and oppressed in his own home, and they want to get rid of him. It seems to him that his personal belongings are being stolen or damaged. IN severe cases delusional ideas arise that they are trying to destroy him - kill, poison, etc. The patient can lock himself in his room and restrict access to other persons. However, with this form of the disease, the person is able to take care of himself, and in general socialization is preserved. The disease develops and lasts for many years.
Usually expressed by a combination of hallucinations of various kinds with paranoid ideas and thoughts. This disease appears at the age of about 60 years and lasts for many years, sometimes up to 10-15 years. The clinical picture quickly becomes similar to signs of schizophrenia (for example, the patient suspects that they want to kill or rob him, and this is accompanied by various visual hallucinations, the patient “hears voices”, etc.). Memory impairments develop slowly, are not noticeable in the first stages of the disease, and clearly manifest themselves after many years of the disease.
Senile paraphrenia (confabulosis)
Typical signs of the disease are multiple confabulations related to the past (the patient attributes to himself acquaintances and connections with famous and influential people, there is an overestimation of oneself, up to delusions of grandeur). Such confabulations take on the appearance of “clichés”, that is, they practically do not change either in form or content. Such disorders occur at the age of 70 years or more; memory impairments are not pronounced at the initial stage and develop gradually.
Of course, the gradual age-related breakdown of the psyche is partly natural process. However, the symptoms of such illnesses can be painful both for the patient himself and for his loved ones. At extremely severe conditions the patient may cause unintentional harm to himself or others. Therefore, treatment of such conditions is certainly necessary. While a person is alive, you need to do everything possible to last years his life was filled with joy and peace.
Treatment methods for senile psychosis
The decision on the need for hospitalization is made by the doctor, with the consent of the patient’s relatives. Treatment is carried out taking into account general condition patient: the form and severity of the disease, as well as the presence and severity of somatic diseases are taken into account.
At depressive states psychotropic drugs such as azafen, pyrazidol, amitriptyline, and melipramine are prescribed. Sometimes a combination of two drugs is used at a certain dosage. Other forms of senile psychosis are treated with the following drugs: triftazine, propazine, haloperidol, sonapax. Treatment of any form of senile psychosis also involves the appointment of correctors (for example, cyclodol).
In each individual case, drugs are selected individually, and treatment should also include the correction of concomitant somatic diseases.
Doctors give the most favorable prognosis for acute forms of senile psychosis. For long periods, chronic forms ah disease, the prognosis is usually unfavorable, most often drugs only relieve symptoms, but the disease remains and accompanies the person for the rest of his life. Therefore, the patient’s family and friends need to be patient, show calm and loyalty - after all, age-related mental breakdown is an objective phenomenon, it does not depend on the will of the old person.
Senile psychoses
e. acute forms of senile psychoses are symptomatic psychoses.
Causes of senile psychoses:
In some cases, the cause of senile psychosis may be physical inactivity, sleep disturbances, malnutrition, sensory isolation (decreased vision, hearing). Since detection of somatic disease in older people is often difficult, its treatment in many cases is delayed. Therefore, mortality in this group of patients is high and reaches 50%. For the most part psychosis occurs acutely, in some cases its development is preceded by a prodromal period lasting one or several days, in the form of episodes of unclear orientation in the environment, the appearance of helplessness during self-care, increased fatigue, as well as sleep disorders and lack of appetite.
Clearly delineated clinical pictures are much less common, most often delirium or stupor.
The disease can occur either continuously or in the form of repeated exacerbations. During the recovery period, patients constantly experience adynamic asthenia and passing or persistent manifestations of psychoorganic syndrome.
Forms and symptoms of senile psychoses:
Chronic forms of senile psychosis, occurring in the form of depressive states, are observed more often in women. In the mildest cases, subdepressive states occur, characterized by lethargy and adynamia; patients usually complain of a feeling of emptiness; the present seems insignificant, the future is devoid of any prospects. In some cases, a feeling of disgust for life arises. There are constantly hypochondriacal statements, usually associated with certain existing somatic diseases. Often these are “silent” depressions with a small number of complaints about one’s state of mind.
Paranoid states (psychoses):
Paranoid states, or psychoses, are manifested by chronic paranoid interpretive delusions, spreading to people in the immediate environment (relatives, neighbors) - the so-called delusions of small scope. Patients usually talk about being harassed, wanting to get rid of them, intentionally damaging their food, personal belongings, or simply being stolen. More often they believe that by “bullying” others want to hasten their death or “survive” from the apartment. Statements that people are trying to destroy them, for example, by poisoning them, are much less common. At the onset of the disease, delusional behavior is often observed, which is usually expressed in the use of various devices that prevent one from entering the patient’s room, less often in complaints sent to various government agencies, and in changing place of residence. The disease continues for for long years with gradual reduction delusional disorders. Social adaptation Such patients usually suffer little. Lonely patients take full care of themselves and maintain family and friendly ties with former acquaintances.
Hallucinatory states:
Hallucinatory states, or hallucinoses, manifest themselves mainly in old age. There are verbal and visual hallucinoses (Bonnet hallucinosis), in which other psychopathological disorders are absent or occur in a rudimentary or transient form. The disease is combined with severe or complete blindness or deafness. With senile psychoses, other hallucinoses are also possible, for example tactile hallucinosis.
Tactile hallucinosis:
Hallucinatory-paranoid state:
Hallucinatory-paranoid states more often appear after 60 years in the form of psychopathic-like disorders that last for many years, in some cases up to 10-15. The clinical picture becomes more complicated due to paranoid delusions of damage and robbery (delusions of small scope), which may be joined by unsystematized ideas of poisoning and persecution, which also extend to people in the immediate environment. The clinical picture changes mainly at the age of 70-80 years, as a result of the development of polyvocal verbal hallucinosis, similar in manifestations to Bonnet verbal hallucinosis. Hallucinosis can be combined with individual ideational automatisms - mental voices, a feeling of openness, echo thoughts.
Senile paraphrenia (senile confabulosis):
Another type of paraphrenic state is senile paraphrenia (senile confabulosis). Among such patients, people aged 70 years and older predominate. The clinical picture is characterized by multiple confabulations, the content of which relates to the past. Patients talk about their participation in unusual or significant events social life, about meeting high-ranking people, and relationships that are usually erotic in nature.
Signs of senile psychosis:
Most chronic senile psychoses are characterized by the following: general signs: limitation clinical manifestations one set of disorders, preferably one syndrome (for example, depressive or paranoid); the severity of psychopathological disorders, allowing one to clearly qualify the psychosis that has arisen; long-term existence of productive disorders (delusions, hallucinations, etc.) and only their gradual reduction; combination over a long period of productive disorders with sufficient preservation of intelligence, in particular memory; Memory disorders are more often limited to dysmnestic disorders (for example, such patients retain affective memory for a long time - memories associated with emotional influences).
Diagnosis of senile psychosis:
The diagnosis of senile psychosis is established on the basis of the clinical picture. Depressive states in senile psychoses are differentiated from depressions in manic-depressive psychosis that arose at a late age. Paranoid psychoses are distinguished from late-onset schizophrenia and paranoid states in the onset of senile dementia. Bonnet's verbal hallucinosis should be differentiated from similar conditions that occasionally occur in vascular and atrophic diseases of the brain, as well as in schizophrenia; Bonnet visual hallucinosis - with a delirious state noted with acute forms senile psychosis. Senile paraphrenia should be distinguished from presbyophrenia, which is characterized by signs of progressive amnesia.
Treatment of senile psychoses:
Treatment is carried out taking into account physical condition sick. Of the psychotropic drugs (it must be remembered that aging causes a change in the reaction of patients to their action), amitriptyline, azaphene, pyrazidol, and melipramine are used for depressive states. In some cases, two drugs are used simultaneously, for example melipramine and amitriptyline. For other senile psychoses, propazine, stelazine (triftazine), haloperidol, sonapax, teralen are indicated. When treating all forms of senile psychosis with psychotropic drugs, correctors (cyclodol, etc.) are recommended. Side effects are more often manifested by tremor and oral hyperkinesia, which are easily taken chronic course and are difficult to treat. In all cases, strict control over somatic condition sick.
The prognosis for acute forms of senile psychoses is favorable in the case of timely treatment and the short duration of the state of stupefaction. Long-term clouding of consciousness entails the development of a persistent and, in some cases, progressive psychoorganic syndrome. The prognosis for chronic forms of senile psychosis with regard to recovery is usually unfavorable. Therapeutic remission is possible for depressive states, Bonnet visual hallucinosis, and for other forms - a weakening of productive disorders. Patients with a paranoid state usually refuse treatment; They have the best adaptive capabilities despite the presence of delirium.
Elderly people over 65 years of age are susceptible to senile psychosis. At the first stage, the disease is manifested by changes in character - patients become stingy, suspicious, petty, and touchy. Traits that were inherent in healthy condition, hypertrophied, exaggerated. Next comes the stage of changes in intellectual abilities - patients’ memory suffers, they begin to forget everything. Emotional disturbances follow.
Senile psychosis (senile dementia, senile dementia) is a mental illness that occurs in people of late age (over 65-75 years old) as a result of brain atrophy, manifests itself in gradual progressive decay mental activity, which ends in total dementia. The causes of senile psychosis are not fully understood, but an important role in understanding the mechanism of development of senile psychosis and its treatment is played by the hereditary factor and the presence of somatic diseases: cardiac dysfunction, the presence of infectious diseases, etc. Early symptoms psychosis in most cases is not noticeable. Senile psychosis develops slowly and gradually, which is why its treatment begins at late stages diseases.
Symptoms of senile dementia
1. Changes in the personality of the patient with senile psychosis The personality of the patient changes gradually. His inherent character traits are exaggerated: accuracy is replaced by pedantry, frugality by stinginess, strength of character by stubbornness. At the same time, individuality is smoothed out, senile traits appear: horizons narrow, interests and connections with others are lost, egocentrism, stinginess, pickiness, and malice appear. Critical thinking decreases, as a result of which suspicion and stubbornness turn into gullibility and suggestibility. 
2. Change in intelligence with senile dementia The disintegration of mental activity occurs from complex to simple. First, creative, critical, abstracting types of mental activity are lost. The process of memorizing and acquiring new experience is disrupted, orientation in time, the sequence of events, and the surrounding environment is lost. Memory is destroyed and lost - this process occurs in the reverse order: first, the latest knowledge is forgotten, then the supply of professional and, ultimately, school knowledge and other information disappears. Self-awareness and assessment of the situation shifts into the past: patients consider themselves children surrounded by parents and other relatives, and often do not recognize themselves in the mirror. 3. Emotional changes for senile early stage senile psychosis in patients is dominated by gloominess, depression, detachment, which is gradually replaced by euphoria, carelessness, complacency to complete emotional dullness. The sleep rhythm is disrupted, causing patients to be awake at night and sleep during the day. Treatment of senile dementia
Unfortunately, the process of brain cell atrophy is irreversible, but it can be slowed down and the condition of a patient diagnosed with senile psychosis can be improved, treatment of which in the early stages involves psychosocial correction of the patient’s behavior and symptomatic therapy existing somatic diseases. If the patient’s condition is dangerous for his life or the health of loved ones (helplessness, aggression, depression), he needs to be placed in a specialized medical Center. Today there are many specialized private psychoneurological centers that will provide professional medical care, including psychiatric care and provide appropriate care to a patient diagnosed with senile psychosis. See also:Senile psychoses occur in old age; these include senile dementia, late-onset depression and paranoids. Senile (senile) psychoses are diseases that occur at a late age due to brain atrophy. The development of diseases is determined mainly by genetic factors; external influences play only a provoking or aggravating role in the process. The difference in clinical forms is associated with the predominant atrophy of certain areas of the cortex and subcortical formations of the brain. Common to all diseases is a slow, gradual, but progressive course, leading to a deep breakdown of mental activity, i.e. to total dementia.
Senile dementia is characterized by a steady decline and decay of mental activity. A weakening of mental activity also occurs during physiological aging, but senile dementia is not a quantitative intensification of this process, but a pathological phenomenon. Such patients make up, according to various authors, 12-25% of total number sick mental illness late age.
Etiology and pathogenesis are unknown. Women get sick more often than men. The risk of the disease in families of patients with senile dementia is higher than among the rest of the population. Related somatic diseases modify and aggravate the picture of psychosis.
Senile dementia (senile dementia) disease old age, caused by brain atrophy, manifested by the gradual disintegration of mental activity with the loss of individual personality characteristics and the outcome of total dementia. Senile dementia is a central problem in late-life psychiatry. Sick senile dementia constitute 3-5% in the population of people over 60 years of age, 20% among 80-year-olds and from 15 to 25% of all elderly mentally ill people. The cause of senile dementia, like other atrophic processes, is still unknown. There is no doubt about the role of heredity, which is confirmed by cases of “familial dementia”. The disease begins at 65-75 years of age, the average duration of the disease is 5 years, but there are cases with a slow progression over 10-20 years. The disease develops imperceptibly, with gradual personality changes in the form of sharpening or exaggeration of previous character traits. For example, frugality turns into stinginess, persistence into stubbornness, distrust into suspicion, etc. At first, this resembles the usual characterological shifts in old age: conservatism in judgments and actions; rejection of the new, praise of the past; tendency to moralize, edify, intractability; narrowing of interests, selfishness and egocentrism. Along with this, the pace of mental activity decreases, attention and the ability to switch and concentrate deteriorate. Thinking processes are disrupted: analysis, generalization, abstraction, logical inference and judgment. With the coarsening of a personality, its individual properties are leveled out and the so-called senile traits become more and more prominent: narrowing of horizons and interests, stereotyped views and statements, loss of previous connections and attachments, callousness and stinginess, pickiness, grumpiness, malice. In some patients, complacency and carelessness, a tendency to talkativeness and jokes, complacency and impatience of criticism, tactlessness and loss of moral standards of behavior predominate. In such patients, modesty and elementary moral attitudes disappear. In the presence of sexual impotence, there is often an increase in sexual desire with a tendency towards sexual perversion (public exposure of the genitals, seduction of minors). Along with the “deterioration” of character, which loved ones often regard as normal age phenomenon, memory disorders gradually increase. Memorization is impaired and the ability to acquire new experiences is lost. The reproduction of information in memory also suffers. First, the most recently acquired experience falls out of memory, then memory for distant events also disappears. Forgetting the present and recent past, patients remember the events of childhood and adolescence quite well. There appears to be a shift of life into the past, up to “life in the past,” when an 80-year-old woman considers herself an 18-year-old girl and behaves according to this age. Roommates and medical staff names the names of persons who were in her circle at that time (long dead). In answering questions, patients report facts from long ago or talk about fictitious events.
At times, patients become fussy, businesslike, collecting and tying things into bundles - “getting ready for the journey”, and then, sitting with the bundle on their knees, waiting for the trip. This happens due to gross violations orientation in time, the environment, one’s own personality. However, it should be noted that with senile dementia there is always a discrepancy between severe dementia and the preservation of some external forms behavior. The manner of behavior with features of facial expressions, gestures, and the use of familiar expressions is preserved for a long time. This is especially evident in persons with a certain professional style of behavior developed over many years: teachers, doctors. Thanks to the preservation of external forms of behavior, lively facial expressions, several common speech patterns and some reserves of memory, especially for past events, such patients at first glance can create the impression of being completely healthy. And only by chance asked question can reveal that a person who is having a lively conversation with you and demonstrating an “excellent memory” for past events does not know how old he is, cannot determine the date, month, year, season, has no idea where he is or who he is talking to etc. Physical decrepitude develops relatively slowly, compared with the increase in mental decay of the personality.
However, over time there appear neurological symptoms: constriction of the pupils, weakening of their reaction to light, decreased muscle strength, trembling of the hands (senile tremor), gait with small, mincing steps (senile gait). Patients lose weight, the skin becomes dry and wrinkled, and function is impaired. internal organs, insanity sets in.
During the course of the disease, there may be psychotic disorders with hallucinations and delusions. Patients hear “voices” containing threats, accusations, and talk about torture and reprisals against loved ones. There may also be visual illusions of perception (they see a person who has entered their apartment), tactile ones (“bugs” crawling on the skin). Delusional ideas mainly apply to people in the immediate environment (relatives, neighbors), their content is ideas of damage, robbery, poisoning, and, less often, persecution.
Recognizing atrophic processes in the brain is difficult in the initial stages of the disease, when it is necessary to exclude vascular pathology, brain tumors and other diseases. With a pronounced clinical picture of the disease, making a diagnosis is not particularly difficult. To confirm the diagnosis, modern research methods are used ( CT scan brain). Treatment. Effective methods There is currently no treatment for atrophic processes. However, proper care and purpose symptomatic remedies(from individual symptoms of the disease) have great importance for the fate of such patients. At the onset of the disease, it is advisable to keep them at home without sudden changes life stereotype. Hospitalization may cause the condition to worsen. The patient needs to create conditions for a fairly active lifestyle, so that he moves more, lies in bed less. daytime, was more busy with the usual household chores. In case of severe dementia and in the absence of the possibility of constant care and monitoring of the patient at home, it is indicated hospital treatment or stay in a special boarding school.
Psychotropic drugs are prescribed only for sleep disorders, fussiness, delusional and hallucinatory disorders. Preference is given to drugs that do not cause weakness, lethargy, or other side effects and complications.
Tranquilizers are recommended only at night (radedorm, eupoctin). Antidepressants used include pyrazidol and azafen; neuroleptics - sonapax, teralen, etaparazine, haloperidol drops. All drugs are prescribed in minimal doses in order to avoid unwanted complications. Treatment with nootropics and other metabolic agents is advisable only in the early stages of the disease, when it helps to some extent stabilize the process.
There is no prevention for senile dementia. Good care, timely treatment of internal diseases and maintenance mental state can significantly prolong the patient's life.
psychosis presenile senile
Senile psychosis is a disease that affects older people and is caused by brain atrophy. But, of course, this does not mean that senile psychosis is inevitable for all older people. The development of senile psychoses is primarily due to genetic predisposition. Concerning external influences, then they are assigned only a provoking role. Sometimes they can intensify the process. Various clinical forms mainly related to the predominant atrophy of certain areas of the cortex, atrophy of subcortical brain formations.
A common feature for senile psychoses can be considered their smooth course, when the disease develops slowly, but, nevertheless, constantly progresses. As a result, a deep breakdown of mental activity occurs, that is, total dementia. Senile psychoses have their own, clearly pronounced signs. The main symptoms are considered to be a weakened ability to remember, difficult perception of external impressions. Also, the character of patients changes. This is expressed in emotional dullness, fussiness, pathological stinginess, and night restlessness is especially characteristic.
Senile psychosis has a chronic course, with periodic remissions and periods of exacerbation. The onset of the disease is always slow. Sometimes it has a stationary character for several years, but more rapid development is not excluded. With this disease, the thinking process becomes more and more disturbed over time, the personality becomes coarser, and individual properties become more prominent. Some patients become complacent and carefree, others behave viciously and lose their former affections. Some patients are deprived of basic moral principles. It is often believed that deterioration of character is a phenomenon characteristic of old age, but memory disorders are added to it.
Although scientists are discussing possible causes of senile psychosis, they have not yet been established with certainty. It is believed that, as with many other atrophic processes, in in this case Heredity plays a significant role. Moreover, famous clinical cases so-called “familial dementia”. Basically, the onset of the disease occurs between the ages of sixty-five and seventy-five years. The average duration of the disease can be five years, at the same time, there are cases when senile psychoses develop very slowly and can last ten years, and sometimes up to twenty.
Also, among probable causes Experts call the development of senile psychosis degenerative processes occurring in the brain. In some cases, patients experience senile melancholy, and the occurrence of organic changes in the brain is not typical for this type of disorder. Another feature of brain changes associated with old age are moments of self-poisoning, related to senile involution endocrine glands, as well as other organs. Some experts argue that senile psychosis can manifest itself under the influence of various infectious diseases.
It is difficult to recognize atrophic processes in the brain in the initial stages of the disease; in this case, it is necessary to exclude possible vascular pathology, brain tumors, and other diseases. If there is a pronounced clinical picture diseases, then diagnosing senile psychoses is not difficult. Also, to confirm the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes one of modern methods examination, in this case a computed tomography scan.
Despite the fact that certain means and techniques are used to treat senile psychosis, effective measures No. However, it has been established that for such patients the prescription of symptomatic drugs that affect individual signs diseases. It is also important to provide the patient with proper care. At the very beginning of the disease, it is better if the patient is kept at home so that there are no sudden changes in the usual rhythm of life. Often placed in medical institution causes the patient's condition to worsen. It is best to create conditions for the patient so that his lifestyle is more active. That is, more movement, less lying down during the day. You can do your usual household chores.
If there is severe dementia, and at the same time, there is no possibility of appropriate care for the patient at home, then hospital treatment is recommended; there are also special boarding schools. Psychotropic drugs are prescribed only if sleep is disturbed, there are hallucinatory disorders, or sleep disorders. Basically, preference is given to those drugs that do not cause lethargy, weakness, and do not have complications or any side effects. Tranquilizers for the treatment of senile psychosis are recommended at night. Each drug is prescribed in a minimum dose to avoid unwanted reactions. Treatment with metabolic agents is only applicable if the disease is at an early stage, since in this case the process is stabilized to some extent.
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