Urgent and emergent psychiatric disorders.

In the emergency department, neurologists regularly evaluate patients exhibiting behavioral abnormalities that stem from underlying neurologic diseases. This behavior may be the initial presence of a neurologic illness or may indicate the deterioration and progress of the disease process. In addition, many neurologic patients present with acute and potentially dangerous psychiatric symptoms that demand rapid and accurate management. Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with psychiatric manifestations in the context of neurologic illness pose a significant challenge to treating neurologists. This article discusses a general approach to assessment and treatment of some of the more common psychiatric disorders.