title: Psychotic disorder caused by a general medical condition, with delusions. Secondary "organic" delusional syndromes.
abstract: Many medical and neurologic disorders cause psychosis with delusions. The pathophysiology of this final common pathway may shed light on idiopathic psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. By focusing on the "basal ganglia-thalamocortical" and "corticostriatal-thalamocortical" loops that connect limbically related cortical regions with the mesolimbic-mesostriatal dopamine system we can view the neural network that may produce delusional thinking when its restitutive function fails. Given its importance in the memory system of the medial temporal lobe, as the recipient of the emotional valencing from the amygdala, and as a key "loop" structure for cognitive functional integrity, the hippocampus may be a nodal area in the development of rational as opposed to delusional thinking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Fricchione
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.forename: W I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003702:Delusions / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000502:physiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011605:Psychoses, Substance-Induced / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents