Suddenly, Lavinia is unable to remember what she was doing. She screams that bugs are crawling all over the walls. She begins to wildly swing her arms around. She can't fall asleep at night, but finally falls asleep at daylight. Lavinia most likely has
A) dementia.
B) focal brain damage.
C) schizophrenia.
D) delirium.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms described suggest that Lavinia is experiencing delirium, which is a state of confusion that can be caused by a variety of factors such as medication side effects, infections, or alcohol/drug abuse. The symptoms include disorientation, hallucinations (such as seeing bugs crawling all over the walls), and agitation or restlessness (such as wildly swinging arms). The difficulty falling asleep at night and finally falling asleep during daylight are also common in delirium. Dementia and schizophrenia may cause some similar symptoms, but the sudden onset and fluctuating nature of Lavinia's symptoms point more strongly to delirium. Focal brain damage typically produces more localized symptoms related to the specific area of the brain that is affected.

Suddenly, Lavinia Is Unable to Remember What She Was Doing