Changes in behavior

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Changes in behavior

A change in how a person acts is called altered behavior. A change may include:

Confusion.
Disorientation to time and place.
Unusually aggressive or combative behavior.
Lethargy, unexplained sleepiness, or the inability to arouse a person from sleep.

Altered behavior can be caused by conditions or substances that may affect the brain, such as:

Prescription and nonprescription medicine.
Drug and alcohol abuse or withdrawal.
Electrolyte imbalances.
Exposure to toxins, such as carbon monoxide, arsenic, or lead.
Lack of oxygen to the brain.
Head injury.
Seizure.
Abnormally high blood sugar (ketoacidosis) or abnormally low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
Infection, especially in older adults.
Mental health problems, such as anxiety disorders, depression, or psychosis.
Blockages in the blood vessels in the brain, such as in a stroke.
Bleeding in the brain from a head injury or stroke.
Destruction of brain tissue by a tumor.
Pressure on brain tissue by a tumor or swelling.

Changes in behavior may be sudden, such as those caused by a stroke or head injury, or gradual, such as those caused by a tumor or swelling in the brain.

Credits

Author	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC
Editor	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA
Associate Editor	Tracy Landauer
Primary Medical Reviewer	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Last Updated	January 17, 2006

Last updated:	January 17, 2006
Author:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer

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