Question:
What differentiates delirium from dementia?
What differentiates delirium from dementia?
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Onset is the key - acute and fluctuating versus slowly progressive.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Confusion
- Difficulty in communicating
- Hallucination
- Sudden change
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Delirium (acute confusional state) and dementia both impair cognition, so the question wants the feature that best separates them rather than a feature they share.
Step 2: Confusion (a), difficulty communicating (b), and hallucinations (c) can all occur in either condition, so none of these reliably distinguishes the two.
Step 3: The key difference is onset and course. Dementia develops gradually over months to years with slowly progressive memory and intellectual decline. Delirium develops abruptly over hours to days, fluctuates, and represents a sudden change from baseline.
Step 4: Inattention is the hallmark of delirium, and its acute, sudden onset is what differentiates it from the insidious course of dementia. Hence the answer is (d) Sudden change.
Step 2: Confusion (a), difficulty communicating (b), and hallucinations (c) can all occur in either condition, so none of these reliably distinguishes the two.
Step 3: The key difference is onset and course. Dementia develops gradually over months to years with slowly progressive memory and intellectual decline. Delirium develops abruptly over hours to days, fluctuates, and represents a sudden change from baseline.
Step 4: Inattention is the hallmark of delirium, and its acute, sudden onset is what differentiates it from the insidious course of dementia. Hence the answer is (d) Sudden change.
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