Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Behavior - unusual or strange

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Acting strangely


Home Care

A doctor should evaluate any unusual behaviors or personality changes. Treatments are based on the following causes of strange behavior:

  • Alzheimer's disease -- medications, sympathetic care, occupational therapy, family support
  • Brain tumor, head injury, stroke, infection, fever, or pneumonia -- seek immediate medical attention
  • Emotional or psychiatric problems -- support, talk therapy, and medications
  • Environmental causes -- change the environment or change environments
  • Excess alcohol -- stop drinking (abstinence)
  • Huntington's disease -- supportive care
  • Hypothermia -- warmth (rewarming should be carefully monitored)
  • Illicit drug use -- stop taking the drug and seek a doctor's advice for withdrawal symptoms
  • Low thyroid function -- see your health care provider about thyroid hormone replacement treatment
  • Malnutrition -- medical exam, followed by proper diet and vitamin supplements
  • Medication -- ask the doctor about adjusting the dosage, changing medications, or stopping them
  • Surgery -- this is usually temporary, but avoid long-term use of sedatives and painkillers

Call your health care provider if

Schedule an appointment with 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 health care provider's office

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 your lifestyle affected?
  • Can you 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:

  • Blood tests
  • CT scan or MRI of the head
  • Electroencephalogram (EEG)
  • Mental status test
  • Neuropsychological testing
  • Urine tests

Review Date: 02/06/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and Department of Anatomy at UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)