The expression of psychotic disorder due to  another medical cond ition does not differ
substantially in phenomenology depending on  age at occurrence. However, older age
groups have a higher prevalence of the disorder, which is most likely due to the increasing
medical burden associated with advanced ag e and the cumulative effects of deleterious
exposures and age-related processes (e.g., athe rosclerosis). The nature of the underlying
medical conditions is likely to change across  the lifespan, with younger age groups more
affected by epilepsy, head trauma, autoimmune , and neoplastic diseas es of early to mid-
life, and older age groups more affected by stroke disease, anoxic events, and multiple sys-
tem comorbidities. Underlying factors with in creasing age, such as preexisting cognitive
impairment as well as vision and hearing impairments, may incur a greater risk for psy-
chosis, possibly by serving to lower th e threshold for experiencing psychosis. 
Risk and Prognostic Factors 
Course modifiers. Identification and treatment of the underlying medical condition has
the greatest impact on course, although pr eexisting central nervou s system injury may
confer a worse course outcome (e.g., head trauma, cerebr ovascular disease).
Diagnostic Markers
The diagnosis of psychotic disorder due to an other medical condition depends on the clin-
ical condition of each individual, and the diag nostic tests will vary according to that con-
dition. A variety of medical conditions ma y cause psychotic symp toms. These include
neurological condit ions (e.g., neoplasms, cerebrovascular disease, Huntington's disease,
multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, auditory or visual nerve injury or impairment, deafness,
migraine, central nervous  system infections), endocrine co nditions (e.g., hyper- and hypo-