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Toxic ictal delirium.

B van Sweden1, F Mellerio

  • 1Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands.

Biological Psychiatry
|February 15, 1989
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Toxic delirium, characterized by acute confusional states and electroencephalogram (EEG) dysfunction, may represent a nonconvulsive epileptic state. Intravenous benzodiazepines effectively resolved both clinical and EEG abnormalities in patients experiencing drug withdrawal or overdose.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Neurology

Background:

  • Delirium, or acute confusional state, is a common, reversible organic psychiatric syndrome.
  • Toxic delirium can manifest with significant electroencephalogram (EEG) dysfunction in non-epileptic patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate toxic delirium associated with paroxysmal EEG dysfunction in non-epileptic patients.
  • To explore the potential of delirium as a generalized symptomatic nonconvulsive epileptic state.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of intravenous benzodiazepines in treating such conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Observations in patients experiencing delirium from hypnosedative drug withdrawal.
  • Analysis of confusion induced by psychotropic drug overdosage.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Detailed reporting of clinical and EEG changes before and after benzodiazepine administration.

    • Main Results:

    • Delirium in these contexts may represent a generalized symptomatic nonconvulsive epileptic state due to transient transmitter dysfunction.
    • Intravenous benzodiazepines led to dramatic relief of both clinical and EEG dysfunction.
    • EEG proved informative in the differential diagnosis of acute confusional states.

    Conclusions:

    • Toxic delirium, particularly related to drug withdrawal or overdose, can present as a nonconvulsive epileptic state.
    • Benzodiazepines are effective in managing both the clinical symptoms and EEG abnormalities of toxic delirium.
    • EEG is a valuable tool for diagnosing acute confusional states.