Central Health Clinic

Delirium and Dementia both cause severe cognitive problems affecting multiple intellectual abilities, but there are several ways to distinguish them. The most important difference is the clarity of the person’s con­sciousness. People with Delirium act as if they are in a cloud — it is almost impossible to sustain more than a brief conversation with them without getting the feeling that they have drifted off elsewhere. In contrast, even though the person with Dementia may not know what day it is or even rec­ognize who you are, he is able to remain relatively alert and will stay con­nected with you during a conversation. Another important difference is in the way the symptoms change over time. A person with Delirium often has a fluctuating Jekyll-and-Hyde quality—whereas the cognitive problems in Dementia are more stable from day to day.