anticholinergics can cause symptoms of dementia

In this review we discuss the symptoms, etiology and therapy of reversible organic mental disorders following surgery. Acute confusional states and delirium still pose difficult and unsolved problems in our operative wards and intensive care units. They are a major cause of morbidity and mortality following geriatric surgery. It is necessary to keep a watchful eye for signs of mild cerebral impairment. Slight disorientation, minor fear, depression or delusions can be the first step towards an aggressive or delirious restlessness...

Delirium, an acute confusional state, is an organic brain syndrome that manifests deficits in attention, irrelevant or rambling speech, and other cognitive deficits. Its symptoms often fluctuate over the course of the day, and patients may be hyperactive--for example, restless and screaming--or hypoactive--for example, quiet, inactive, and stuporous. Occurring in approximately 20% of hospitalized elderly patients, delirium is the most common psychiatric syndrome in acutely ill general medical and surgical patients...