Test your cognitive skills with the Cognitive Reflection Test. Practice with challenging questions that test reflex and intuition. Improve your decision-making abilities and get ready for the CRT!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

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What contributes to the risk factors of delirium in elderly patients?

  1. Young age

  2. Robust physical health

  3. Lack of social interaction

  4. Cognitive function deficits

The correct answer is: Cognitive function deficits

In the context of delirium risk factors in elderly patients, cognitive function deficits are a significant contributor. As individuals age, declines in cognitive abilities can increase susceptibility to delirium. Cognitive impairments can include issues with memory, attention, and executive functioning, making it harder for older adults to maintain orientation and awareness of their surroundings. This decline may result from various conditions, such as dementia, stroke, or other neurological disorders, which further compromise an individual's cognitive resilience. When cognitive function is impaired, it diminishes the capacity to properly interpret information, respond to environmental changes, and manage stressors, thus creating a greater risk for the development of delirium, especially when combined with other physiological stressors like infection, hospitalization, or medication changes. The other factors do not contribute to the increased risk of delirium in the same manner. For instance, young age generally correlates with a lower risk, robust physical health may provide better overall resilience, and while lack of social interaction can affect mental health, it is not as critical a risk factor for delirium as cognitive deficits directly are.