Factor analysis supports the evidence of existing hyperactive and hypoactive subtypes of delirium

✍ Scribed by Vincent Camus; Bernard Burtin; Italo Simeone; Pierre Schwed; Regis Gonthier; Gerard Dubos

• Book ID: 101283690
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 73 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6230
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1166(200004)15:4<313::aid-gps115>3.0.co;2-m

✦ Synopsis

Objective:

The aim of this study was to examine whether delirium has specific clinical subtypes.

Method:

One hundred and eighty-three elderly subjects meeting dsm-iiir criteria for delirium were evaluated using a 19-item symptom check-list assessing different dimensions of delirium symptomatology. exploratory factor analysis was conducted in order to examine which symptoms clustered.

Results:

Factor analysis confirmed the existence of two different clusters of symptoms: first, symptoms of hyperalert/hyperactive features (agitation, hyper-reactivity, aggressiveness, hallucinations, delusions); and second, symptoms of hypoalert/hypoactive features (decreased reactivity, motor and speech retardation, facial inexpressiveness).

Conclusion:

This preliminary study seems to support the evidence of hypoactive and hyperactive subtypes of delirium, even though their aetiology and prognostic values need to be further examined.