What does it mean if a patient is incoherent?

Medical Definition of incoherent : lacking clarity or intelligibility usually by reason of some emotional stress incoherent speech.

What is the synonym of incoherent?

adjective. 1’a long and incoherent speech’ unclear, confused, muddled, unintelligible, incomprehensible, hard to follow, disjointed, disconnected, unconnected, disordered, mixed up, garbled, jumbled, scrambled. rambling, wandering, discursive, disorganized, uncoordinated, illogical.

What does incoherent mean in psychology?

n. inability to express oneself in a clear and orderly manner, most commonly manifested as disjointed and unintelligible speech. This may be an expression of disorganized and impaired thinking.

What causes a person to be incoherent?

Two common causes of disorientation are delirium and dementia. Delirium is caused by sudden abnormal brain functioning. It lasts for only a short period. It can be triggered by medications, infections, and trauma.

Where does the word incoherent come from?

incoherent (adj.) 1620s, “without coherence” (of immaterial or abstract things, especially thought or language), from in- (1) “not, opposite of” + coherent. As “without physical coherence” from 1690s.

How do you use incoherent in a sentence?

Incoherent in a Sentence 🔉

1. After drinking too much at the party, Larry became incoherent and made very little sense.
2. The speaker spoke so rapidly that his words were incoherent to most in the audience.
3. Because my aunt suffered a stroke, she is mostly incoherent and unable to express herself well.

Why do elderly get confused at night?

Sundowning is a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. It’s also known as “late-day confusion.” If someone you care for has dementia, their confusion and agitation may get worse in the late afternoon and evening. In comparison, their symptoms may be less pronounced earlier in the day.

Why would an elderly person suddenly be confused?

Common causes of sudden confusion a lack of oxygen in the blood (hypoxia) – the cause could be anything from a severe asthma attack to a problem with the lungs or heart. an infection anywhere in the body, especially in elderly people. a stroke or TIA (‘mini stroke’) a low blood sugar level (hypoglycaemia)