medical condition and substance use, both diag noses (i.e., psychotic disorder due to an-
other medical condition and substance/medication-induced psychotic disorder) can be
given.
Psychotic disorder. Psychotic disorder due to another medical condition must be distin-
guished from a psychotic disord er (e.g., schizophrenia, delusi onal disorder, schizoaffective
disorder) or a depressive or bipolar disorder , with psychotic featur es. In psychotic disor-
ders and in depressive or bipolar disorders, wi th psychotic features, no specific and direct
causative physiological mechanisms associated with a medical condition can be demon-
strated. Late age at onset and the absence of a personal or family history of schizophrenia
or delusional disorder suggest the need for a thorough ass essment to rule out the diagno-
sis of psychotic disorder due to another medical condition. Auditory hallucinations that
involve voices speaking complex sentences ar e more characteristic of schizophrenia than
of psychotic disorder due to a medical condition. Other types of hallucinations (e.g., vi-
sual, olfactory) commonly signal a psychotic disorder due to another medical condition or
a substance/medication-induced psychotic disorder.
Comorbidity
Psychotic disorder due to another medical co ndition in individuals older than 80 years is
associated with concurrent major neurocognitive disorder (dementia).