Organic Mental Disorder Causes and Treatment

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An organic mental disorder refers to a decrease in mental functioning that is not the result of apsychiatric condition. Sometimes this term is used interchangeably with organic brain syndrome (OBS) or chronic organic brain syndrome, but is now generally referred to as a neurocognitive disorder.

Here we share some of the potential causes of an organic mental disorder, along with a few of the most common symptoms. We also talk about the various treatment options when this type of condition exists.

At a Glance

What Causes an Organic Mental Disorder?

Organic mental disorders can have numerous possible causes. Among them are damage or injury to the brain from:

Heavy alcohol usecan also contribute to the development of an organic mental disorder. In cases such as these, this type of disorder is secondary to alcohol dependence.

How Alcohol Damages the Brain

Symptoms of an Organic Mental Disorder

Someone with an organic mental disorder may have difficulty concentrating for a long period of time or get confused when performing tasks that are routine. They might also have troublemanaging relationshipsand collaborating or communicating with colleagues, friends, or family.

Other symptoms of an organic mental disorder or neurocognitive disorder include:

The exact symptoms a person may experience can vary depending on the cause of the disorder. If any of these symptoms are present, seeking medical attention is important to finding their cause and deciding the best treatment.

How an Organic Mental Disorder Is Diagnosed

A blood test, spinal tap, or electroencephalogram (EEG) may be administered to diagnose organic brain syndrome or an organic mental disorder. Imaging of the brain, like with a CT scan or MRI, can also be useful, depending on the underlying cause.

While “organic disorders” was removed from the fourth edition of theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual(DSM) as a diagnostic category, many mental health professionals still use this terminology to describe these conditions.

Potential Organic Mental Disorder Complications

Some organic mental disorders are only temporary, but others get worse with time. The chance of recovery or the outlook of a person’s condition with this type of disorder depends on a number of factors, most notably the cause ofimpaired brain function.

Organic mental disorders that don’t respond to treatment often result in an inability to function independently or to interact with others.This can lead to the need for assistance with activities of daily living.

Treatments for an Organic Mental Disorder

Although the diagnosis of an organic mental disorder (or neurocognitive disorder, as it is now referred to) can be frightening, there are resources available to help. Plus, research indicates that the effectiveness of organic mental disorder treatments is improving.

Specific treatments that are best for a person with an organic mental disorder vary based on the underlying cause of the disorder. Medication may be prescribed to manage aggressive behaviors.Rehabilitation therapycan also help patients recover function in the parts of the brain affected.

11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Diamond BJ, Dettle K.Organic brain syndrome.Encyclop Clin Neuropsychol. 2018:2523-2526. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_569National Library of Medicine.Organic mental disorder.Mishra KK, Sawant N, Garg S.Management of psychiatric disorders in patients with endocrine disorders.Indian J Psychiatry. 2022;64(Suppl 2):S402-S413. doi:10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_30_22Rauh VA, Margolis A.Research review: Environmental exposures, neurodevelopment and child mental health - new paradigms for the study of brain and behavioral effects.J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2016;57(7):775-793. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12537Bai YM, Li CT, Tsai SJ, Tu PC, Chen MH, Su TP.Metabolic syndrome and adverse clinical outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder.BMC Psychiatry. 2016;16:448. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-1143-8Zhang Y, Luo H, Wang X, et al.Psychiatric symptoms in a female with subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord (SCD): a case report.BMC Psychiatry. 2023;23:129. doi:10.1186/s12888-023-04631-0Gilenko MV.[The main variants of organic mental disorders comorbid with alcohol dependence].Zh Nevrol Pshikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2014;114(9):15-18.National Library of Medicine.Neurocognitive disorder.Lilamand M, Hourregue C, Paquet C.Interest of biological biomarkers in the diagnostic approach of neurocognitive disorders in the elderly.Rev Neurol. 2020;176(9):677-683. doi:10.1016/j.neurol.2019.12.006Benrimoh D, Pomerleau VJ, Demoustier A, et al.Why we still use “organic causes”: Results from a survey of psychiatrists and residents.J Neuropsychiatry. 2018:31(1):57-64. doi:10.1176/appi.neuropsych.18050099Zhang D, Men K, Ma Y, Shi M, Lei J, Zhang H.Treatment research on mental diseases of brain organic mental disorders based on big data.J Phys: Conf Ser. 2021;1881:042037. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1881/4/042037

11 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Diamond BJ, Dettle K.Organic brain syndrome.Encyclop Clin Neuropsychol. 2018:2523-2526. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_569National Library of Medicine.Organic mental disorder.Mishra KK, Sawant N, Garg S.Management of psychiatric disorders in patients with endocrine disorders.Indian J Psychiatry. 2022;64(Suppl 2):S402-S413. doi:10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_30_22Rauh VA, Margolis A.Research review: Environmental exposures, neurodevelopment and child mental health - new paradigms for the study of brain and behavioral effects.J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2016;57(7):775-793. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12537Bai YM, Li CT, Tsai SJ, Tu PC, Chen MH, Su TP.Metabolic syndrome and adverse clinical outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder.BMC Psychiatry. 2016;16:448. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-1143-8Zhang Y, Luo H, Wang X, et al.Psychiatric symptoms in a female with subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord (SCD): a case report.BMC Psychiatry. 2023;23:129. doi:10.1186/s12888-023-04631-0Gilenko MV.[The main variants of organic mental disorders comorbid with alcohol dependence].Zh Nevrol Pshikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2014;114(9):15-18.National Library of Medicine.Neurocognitive disorder.Lilamand M, Hourregue C, Paquet C.Interest of biological biomarkers in the diagnostic approach of neurocognitive disorders in the elderly.Rev Neurol. 2020;176(9):677-683. doi:10.1016/j.neurol.2019.12.006Benrimoh D, Pomerleau VJ, Demoustier A, et al.Why we still use “organic causes”: Results from a survey of psychiatrists and residents.J Neuropsychiatry. 2018:31(1):57-64. doi:10.1176/appi.neuropsych.18050099Zhang D, Men K, Ma Y, Shi M, Lei J, Zhang H.Treatment research on mental diseases of brain organic mental disorders based on big data.J Phys: Conf Ser. 2021;1881:042037. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1881/4/042037

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Diamond BJ, Dettle K.Organic brain syndrome.Encyclop Clin Neuropsychol. 2018:2523-2526. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_569National Library of Medicine.Organic mental disorder.Mishra KK, Sawant N, Garg S.Management of psychiatric disorders in patients with endocrine disorders.Indian J Psychiatry. 2022;64(Suppl 2):S402-S413. doi:10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_30_22Rauh VA, Margolis A.Research review: Environmental exposures, neurodevelopment and child mental health - new paradigms for the study of brain and behavioral effects.J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2016;57(7):775-793. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12537Bai YM, Li CT, Tsai SJ, Tu PC, Chen MH, Su TP.Metabolic syndrome and adverse clinical outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder.BMC Psychiatry. 2016;16:448. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-1143-8Zhang Y, Luo H, Wang X, et al.Psychiatric symptoms in a female with subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord (SCD): a case report.BMC Psychiatry. 2023;23:129. doi:10.1186/s12888-023-04631-0Gilenko MV.[The main variants of organic mental disorders comorbid with alcohol dependence].Zh Nevrol Pshikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2014;114(9):15-18.National Library of Medicine.Neurocognitive disorder.Lilamand M, Hourregue C, Paquet C.Interest of biological biomarkers in the diagnostic approach of neurocognitive disorders in the elderly.Rev Neurol. 2020;176(9):677-683. doi:10.1016/j.neurol.2019.12.006Benrimoh D, Pomerleau VJ, Demoustier A, et al.Why we still use “organic causes”: Results from a survey of psychiatrists and residents.J Neuropsychiatry. 2018:31(1):57-64. doi:10.1176/appi.neuropsych.18050099Zhang D, Men K, Ma Y, Shi M, Lei J, Zhang H.Treatment research on mental diseases of brain organic mental disorders based on big data.J Phys: Conf Ser. 2021;1881:042037. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1881/4/042037

Diamond BJ, Dettle K.Organic brain syndrome.Encyclop Clin Neuropsychol. 2018:2523-2526. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_569

National Library of Medicine.Organic mental disorder.

Mishra KK, Sawant N, Garg S.Management of psychiatric disorders in patients with endocrine disorders.Indian J Psychiatry. 2022;64(Suppl 2):S402-S413. doi:10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_30_22

Rauh VA, Margolis A.Research review: Environmental exposures, neurodevelopment and child mental health - new paradigms for the study of brain and behavioral effects.J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2016;57(7):775-793. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12537

Bai YM, Li CT, Tsai SJ, Tu PC, Chen MH, Su TP.Metabolic syndrome and adverse clinical outcomes in patients with bipolar disorder.BMC Psychiatry. 2016;16:448. doi:10.1186/s12888-016-1143-8

Zhang Y, Luo H, Wang X, et al.Psychiatric symptoms in a female with subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord (SCD): a case report.BMC Psychiatry. 2023;23:129. doi:10.1186/s12888-023-04631-0

Gilenko MV.[The main variants of organic mental disorders comorbid with alcohol dependence].Zh Nevrol Pshikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2014;114(9):15-18.

National Library of Medicine.Neurocognitive disorder.

Lilamand M, Hourregue C, Paquet C.Interest of biological biomarkers in the diagnostic approach of neurocognitive disorders in the elderly.Rev Neurol. 2020;176(9):677-683. doi:10.1016/j.neurol.2019.12.006

Benrimoh D, Pomerleau VJ, Demoustier A, et al.Why we still use “organic causes”: Results from a survey of psychiatrists and residents.J Neuropsychiatry. 2018:31(1):57-64. doi:10.1176/appi.neuropsych.18050099

Zhang D, Men K, Ma Y, Shi M, Lei J, Zhang H.Treatment research on mental diseases of brain organic mental disorders based on big data.J Phys: Conf Ser. 2021;1881:042037. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1881/4/042037

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