Please note: This is the general version of the course: Delirium and Dementia: Differential Diagnosis and Treatment N009G. No pharmacology credits will be earned.  Click here to take the pharmacology version.

Course Summary

Expiration Date: 01/28/2029

Delirium and dementia are common but distinct conditions that are often misdiagnosed. Delirium is an acute, transient change in consciousness, awareness, or memory, characterized by confusion, disorientation, agitation, and hallucinations. Dementia is a group of symptoms that severely affect memory, thinking, and social abilities, interfering with daily life. While they can present similarly (impaired memory, confusion, paranoia, hallucinations), they are separate diagnoses requiring accurate evaluation and intervention. This learning activity will cover the pathophysiology, prevalence, differential diagnosis, and treatment of delirium and dementia.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Overview: Incidence and Prevalence
    • Incidence and Prevalence
  • Dementia: Definition, Diagnostic Criteria, and Etiology
    • Major Cognitive Disorder
    • Mild Cognitive Disorder
  • Types of Dementia
    • Alzheimer’s Disease
    • Frontotemporal Lobe Dementia
    • Lewy Body Dementia
    • Parkinson’s Disease Dementia
    • Vascular Dementia
    • Mild Cognitive Impairment and Pseudodementia
  • Delirium: Definition, Diagnostic Criteria, and Etiology
    • Delirium: Diagnostic Criteria
    • Case Study 1: Elderly Female with Neurocognitive Disorder
  • Dementia Assessment and Diagnosis
    • History and Physical Assessment
    • Collateral Information
    • Laboratory Tests, Imaging Studies, Other Testing
    • Neurological and Psychiatric Assessment
    • Mini-Mental Status Exam
    • Mini-Cog Test
    • Clinical Dementia Rating
    • Montreal Cognitive Assessment
  • Delirium Assessment and Diagnosis
    • 4 A’s Test
    • Confusion Assessment Method
    • Physical Assessment and History
    • Laboratory Testing, Imaging Studies, Other Diagnostic Tests
    • Neurological and Psychiatric Assessment
  • Dementia Clinical Care and Treatment
    • Communication: Self-Identity and Reality Orientation
    • Neuropsychiatric Symptoms
    • Maintain Safety and Comfort 
    • Medication Treatment
  • Delirium: A Medical Emergency
    • Case Study 2: Aggression in a Pediatric Case of Delirium
    • Case Study 3: Delirium During Hospitalization
  • State Requirements for Continuing Education
  • Summary

Author

Marilyn Lajoie, MD, DC, CCSP

Dr. Marilyn Lajoie obtained her medical degree from Saba University School of Medicine in 1999, Her residency began with one year of Anatomical and Surgical Pathology at Orlando Regional Medical Center, before transferring within the same post-graduate residency program to Internal Medicine. Upon completion of residency, she went into private practice in Orlando, where she specialized in Internal Medicine, Sports Medicine and Rehab, as well as acute and chronic pain management. Before becoming a medical doctor, she had practiced as a Chiropractic Physician, graduating from New York Chiropractic College in 1980, practicing initially on Long Island, N.Y., before moving to Florida where she had a successful chiropractic practice and physical rehabilitation center, and gained recognition as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician. Dr. Lajoie was also the Director of Physical Therapy at Horizon Hospital, a residential and outpatient psychiatric hospital, and later, continued in the same capacity at Horizon’s sister psychiatric hospital in Brooksville, Florida. Dr. Lajoie maintained her chiropractic license and continued to practice both Internal Medicine and Chiropractic throughout private practice, until moving to the Veterans Healthcare System in 2014. Continuing in both fields, she became the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Montana VA, where she completed her service in 2021. Dr. Lajoie now works predominantly in telemedicine, and in an Expert Witness capacity for both medical and chiropractic cases. Still living in Montana, she enjoys being able to treat not only the rural areas of the state through this technology, but also patients across the US where she maintains multiple active state licenses. She and her husband also own a llama ranch with over thirty llamas that are hand selected for rare genetics. At the llama ranch, the public is invited to come and visit to learn about these elegant creatures, and to see ranch life firsthand – llama style! Dr. Lajoie and her husband have six adult children, as well as seven dogs.