Behavior & Mental Status Practice Questions Flashcards
- A 29-year-old woman comes to your office. As you take the history, you notice that she is speaking very quickly, and jumping from topic to topic so rapidly that you have trouble following her. You are able to find some connections between ideas, but it is difficult. Which word describes this thought process?
A) Derailment
B) Flight of ideas
C) Circumstantiality
D) Incoherence
Ans: B
Chapter: 05
Page and Header: 145, Techniques of Examination
Feedback: This represents flight of ideas because the ideas are connected in some logical way. Derailment, or loosening of associations, has more disconnection within clauses. Circumstantiality is characterized by the patient speaking “around” the subject and using excessive detail, though thoughts are meaningfully connected. Incoherence lacks meaningful connection and often has odd grammar or word use. Although severe flight of ideas can produce this condition, evidence is not present in this vignette.
- A young woman comes to you with a cut on her finger caused by the lid of a can she was opening. She is pacing about the room, crying loudly, and through her sobs she says, “My career as a pianist is finished!” Which personality type exhibits these features?
A) Narcissistic
B) Paranoid
C) Histrionic
D) Avoidant
Ans: C
Chapter: 05
Page and Header: 136, Symptoms and Behavior
Feedback: The theatrical nature of her behavior as well as her overreaction lead to a diagnosis of histrionic character disorder.
- A 24-year-old secretary comes to your clinic, complaining of difficulty sleeping, severe nightmares, and irritability. She states it all began 6 months ago when she went to a fast food restaurant at midnight. While she was waiting in her car a man entered through the passenger door and put a gun to her head. He had her drive to a remote area, where he took her money and threatened to kill her. When the gun jammed he panicked and ran off. Ever since this occurred the patient has been having these symptoms. She states she jumps at every noise and refuses to drive at night. She states her anxiety has had such a marked influence on her job performance she is afraid she will be fired. She denies any recent illnesses or injuries. Her past medical history is unremarkable. On examination you find a nervous woman appearing her stated age. Her physical examination is unremarkable. You recommend medication and counseling.
What anxiety disorder to you think this young woman has?
A) Specific phobia
B) Acute stress disorder
C) Post-traumatic stress disorder
D) Generalized anxiety disorder
Ans: C
Chapter: 05
Page and Header: 161, Table 5–3
Feedback: Post-traumatic stress disorder is the fearful response (nightmares, avoidance of areas, irritability) to an event that occurred at least 1 month prior to presentation. The patient’s fears and reactions cause marked distress and impair social and occupational functions.
- A 32-year-old white female comes to your clinic, complaining of overwhelming sadness. She says for the past 2 months she has had crying episodes, difficulty sleeping, and problems with overeating. She says she used to go out with her friends from work but now she just wants to go home and be by herself. She also thinks that her work productivity has been dropping because she just is too tired to care or concentrate. She denies any feelings of guilt or any suicidal ideation. She states that she has never felt this way in the past. She denies any recent illness or injuries. Her past medical history consists of an appendectomy when she was a teenager; otherwise, she has been healthy. She is single and works as a clerk in a medical office. She denies tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drug use. Her mother has high blood pressure and her father has had a history of mental illness. On examination you see a woman appearing her stated age who seems quite sad. Her facial expression does not change while you talk to her and she makes little eye contact. She speaks so softly you cannot always understand her. Her thought processes and content seem unremarkable.
What type of mood disorder do you think she has?
A) Dysthymic disorder
B) Manic (bipolar) disorder
C) Major depressive episode
Ans: C
Chapter: 05
Page and Header: 160, Table 5–2
Feedback: Major depression occurs in a person with a previously normal state of mood. The symptoms often consist of a combination of sadness, decreased interest, sleeping problems (insomnia or hypersomnia), eating problems (decreased or increased appetite), feelings of guilt, decreased energy, decreased concentration, psychomotor changes (retardation or agitation), and a preoccupation with thoughts of death or suicide. There must be at least five symptoms for a diagnosis of major depression. This patient has six: (1) sadness, (2) trouble sleeping, (3) overeating, (4) fatigue, (5) difficulty with concentration, and (6) no interest in doing things.
- A 72-year-old African-American male is brought to your clinic by his daughter for a follow-up visit after his recent hospitalization. He had been admitted to the local hospital for speech problems and weakness in his right arm and leg. On admission his MRI showed a small stroke. The patient was in rehab for 1 month following his initial presentation. He is now walking with a walker and has good use of his arm. His daughter complains, however, that everyone is still having trouble communicating with the patient. You ask the patient how he thinks he is doing. Although it is hard for you to make out his words you believe his answer is “well . . . fine . . . doing . . . okay.” His prior medical history involved high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. He is a widower and retired handyman. He has three children who are healthy. He denies tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. He has no other current symptoms. On examination he is in no acute distress but does seem embarrassed when it takes him so long to answer. His blood pressure is 150/90 and his other vital signs are normal. Other than his weak right arm and leg his physical examination is unremarkable.
What disorder of speech does he have?
A) Wernicke’s aphasia
B) Broca’s aphasia
C) Dysarthria
Ans: B
Chapter: 05
Page and Header: 145, Techniques of Examination
Feedback: In Broca’s aphasia patients articulate very slowly and with a great deal of effort. Nouns, verbs, and important adjectives are usually present and only small grammatical words are dropped from speech. Broca’s area is on the lateral portion of the frontal lobes.
- A 27-year-old woman is brought to your office by her mother. The mother tells you that her daughter has been schizophrenic for the last 8 years and is starting to decompensate despite medication. The patient states that she has been taking her antipsychotic and she is doing just fine. Her mother retorts that her daughter has become quite paranoid. When asked why, the mother gives an example about the mailman. She says that her daughter goes and gets the mail every day and then microwaves the letters. The patient agrees that she does this but only because she sees the mailman flipping through the envelopes and she knows he’s putting anthrax on the letters. Her mother turns to her and says, “He’s only sorting the mail!”
Which best describes the patient’s abnormality of perception?
A) Illusion
B) Hallucination
C) Fugue state
Ans: A
Chapter: 05
Page and Header: 145, Techniques of Examination
Feedback: An illusion is merely a misinterpretation of real external stimuli. In this case, the mailman is looking through the letters before he puts them in the box. The mother correctly assumes he is sorting the mail but her schizophrenic daughter attributes his actions to being part of a nefarious bioterrorism plot.
- A 35-year-old stockbroker comes to your office, complaining of feeling tired and irritable. She also says she feels like nothing ever goes her way and that nothing good ever happens. When you ask her how long she has felt this way she laughs and says, “Since when have I not?” She relates that she has felt pessimistic about life in general since she was in high school. She denies any problems with sleep, appetite, or concentration, and states she hasn’t thought about killing herself. She reports no recent illnesses or injuries. She is single. She smokes one pack of cigarettes a day, drinks occasionally, and hasn’t taken any illegal drugs since college. Her mother suffers from depression and her father has high blood pressure. On examination her vital signs and physical examination are unremarkable.
What mental health disorder best describes her symptoms?
A) Major depressive episode
B) Dysthymic disorder
C) Cyclothymic disorder
Ans: B
Chapter: 05
Page and Header: 160, Table 5–2
Feedback: Someone with dysthymia has a depressed mood and symptoms for most of the day, more days than not, for at least 2 years. The disorder generally begins in adolescence and is fairly stable throughout life. Although the symptoms are similar to those of major depression (in this case, fatigue and irritability), they are milder and fewer.
- In obtaining a history, you note that a patient uses the word “largely” repeatedly, to the point of being a distraction to your task. Which word best describes this speech pattern?
A) Clanging
B) Echolalia
C) Confabulation
D) Perseveration
Ans: D
Chapter: 05
Page and Header: 145, Techniques of Examination
Feedback: Perseveration is the repetition of words or ideas. Echolalia differs in that the patient repeats what is said to him. Clanging is the repetition of the same sounds in different words. Confabulation is making up a story in response to a question. This is sometimes seen in chronic alcohol use with Korsakoff’s syndrome.
