Behavior - unusual or strange
Definition
Unusual or strange behavior
involves performing actions that are not normal for the
person.
Alternative Names
Acting strangely
Considerations
Unusual or strange behavior may
include:
- Loss of memory that continues
over time or gets worse
- Loss of the ability to
concentrate and perform other mental tasks
Causes
There are many causes of unusual
or strange behavior, including medical and psychiatric illnesses.
Two of the more common causes are:
- Delirium -- Sudden or quick onset of reduced
consciousness, awareness, perception, or thought that may be a
symptom of a medical illness such as brain or mental
dysfunction
- Dementia -- Chronic, worsening loss of
cognitive function that occurs with brain disorders
Possible causes of strange
behavior in older people include:
Possible causes in people of all
ages include:
- Anxiety, emotional problems
- Diseases affecting the nervous
system (neurological diseases)
- Illicit drug use (such as amphetamines and
cocaine)
- Environmental
hazards
- Low or high thyroid
function
- Non-neurological diseases,
especially those with fever (for
example, pneumonia)
- Side effects of antidepressants,
such as Prozac
- Side effects of medication for
attention deficit disorder, such as Ritalin
Home Care
A doctor should check any unusual
behaviors or personality changes. Treatments are based on the
following causes of delirium:
- Brain tumor, head injury,
stroke, infection, fever, or pneumonia -- seek immediate medical
attention
- Anxiety and emotional problems
-- support, talk therapy, and medications
- Malnutrition -- medical exam,
followed by proper diet and vitamin supplements
- Medication -- ask the doctor
about adjusting the dosage, changing medications, or stopping
them
- Excess alcohol -- stop drinking
(abstinence)
- Illicit drug use -- stop taking
the drug and seek a doctor's advice for withdrawal
symptoms
- Emotional problems --
psychological counseling
- Hypothermia -- warmth (rewarming
should be carefully monitored)
- Surgery -- this is usually
temporary, but avoid long-term use of sedatives and
painkillers
- Alzheimer's disease --
medications, sympathetic care, occupational therapy, family
support
- Huntington's chorea -- supportive
care
- Environmental causes -- change
the environment or change environments
- Low thyroid function -- see your
health care provider about thyroid hormone replacement
treatment
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Contact your regular health care
provider or a doctor who treats disorders of the nervous system
(neurologist) if:
- The unusual or strange behavior
is severe, long-term, unexplained, or is affecting your
life
- You have dementia or
delirium
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
The health care provider will
perform a physical examination and will take a medical history. The
physical examination will probably include a detailed evaluation of
the nervous system (neurological evaluation).
Medical history questions may
include:
- What unusual behaviors are
present?
- How much is the lifestyle
affected?
- Can the person eat, dress, and
perform other everyday activities?
- When did the unusual behavior
begin?
- Is it getting worse, better, or
staying about the same?
- How fast is the behavior
changing?
- What other symptoms are
present?
The following tests may be
performed:
Review Date: 2/13/2008
Reviewed By: Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Departments of Anatomy &
Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA.
Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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