Home › Research › Getting a diagnosis
Transient cognitive disorders (delirium, acute confusional states) in the elderly
Lipowski ZJ.. The American journal of psychiatry, 1983-11-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Transient cognitive disorders (delirium and pseudodelirium) are highly prevalent among the elderly, especially those with brain damage. Delirium is a common feature of physical illness or drug intoxication in elderly patients and requires prompt medical attention. While potentially reversible, delirium may herald death. Pseudodelirium may be induced by psychosocial stress or accompany a functional mental disorder. Transient cognitive disorders must not be confused with dementia, a chronic syndrome. The author discusses clinical features, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of delirium and related transient disorders of cognition in the elderly.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Lipowski, Z. J. (1983). Transient cognitive disorders (delirium, acute confusional states) in the elderly. The American journal of psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.140.11.1426
Vancouver
Lipowski ZJ. Transient cognitive disorders (delirium, acute confusional states) in the elderly. The American journal of psychiatry. 1983. doi:10.1176/ajp.140.11.1426. PMID: 6624987.
BibTeX
@article{lipowski1983-6624987,
author = {Lipowski, Z. J.},
title = {{Transient cognitive disorders (delirium, acute confusional states) in the elderly}},
journal = {The American journal of psychiatry},
year = {1983},
doi = {10.1176/ajp.140.11.1426},
pmid = {6624987},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.140.11.1426}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Delirium is a common feature of physical illness or drug intoxication in elderly patients and requires prompt medical attention.
- While potentially reversible, delirium may herald death.
- Pseudodelirium may be induced by psychosocial stress or accompany a functional mental disorder.
- Transient cognitive disorders must not be confused with dementia, a chronic syndrome.
- The author discusses clinical features, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of delirium and related transient disorders of cognition in the elderly.
Why it matters
This paper describes that transient cognitive disorders such as delirium are highly prevalent among the elderly and may be potentially reversible but can herald death. It emphasizes that transient cognitive disorders must not be confused with dementia, a chronic syndrome.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Getting a diagnosis →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 44/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record and institution's track record, so those were left out: it earned 41 of the 93 points we could judge it on, which is 44 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The American journal of psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | American Journal of Psychiatry: journal h-index 549 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1983 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 375 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.3 citations a year over 45 year(s) since 1983 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 19.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 15 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 0 institution(s) in 0 countries — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 6624987) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 41 / 93 | Scored on 18 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 41 of the 93 points we could judge it on is 44 out of 100. |
| Total | 44 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
1 study in the alzhub library lists this one in its references.
Related studies in Getting a diagnosis
Also tagged “examination”
840 studies in the library carry the topic tag “examination”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 840 tagged studies.