Behavioral Flashcards
What ages characterizes an infant?
0-18 months
Defining characteristics of an infant? (markers for development)
Their reflexes
Infant reflexes
- Rooting reflex - A newborn infant will turn its head toward anything that strokes its cheek or mouth, searching for the object by moving its head in steadily decreasing arcs until the object is found.
- Palmar Grasp reflex - grip any object put in palm
- Moro reflex - limbs extend when child is startled
- Babinksi reflex - dorsiflexion of toes when the sole of foot is stroked
Rooting reflex
The rooting reflex assists in the act of breastfeeding. A newborn infant will turn its head toward anything that strokes its cheek or mouth, searching for the object by moving its head in steadily decreasing arcs until the object is found.
Palmar Grasp reflex
When an object is placed in the infant’s hand and strokes their palm, the fingers will close and they will grasp it with a palmar grasp.
Appears as early as 16 weeks and persists until 5 or 6 months of age.
Moro reflex
The Moro reflex is an infantile reflex normally present in all infants/newborns up to 4 or 5 months of age as a response to a sudden loss of support, when the infant feels as if it is falling. It involves three distinct components:
- spreading out the arms (abduction)
- unspreading the arms (adduction)
- crying (usually)
In summary: limbs extend when child is startled
Babinski reflex
Dorsiflexion of toes when the sole of foot is stroked
Dissappears as early as 1 year, but can take 2 years to go away.
One of the first tasks facing an infant (most important social relationship in its life)
Attachment to the parent or the primary caregiver
Stranger anxiety
After a child formed a strong attachment to his mother, he typically begins to show anxiety when handled by anyone other than the mother.
Whereas the child at 5 months was tolerant of being picked up by a stranger, the same child at 9 months will not tolerate this familarity.
Object permanence
During the first months of life, objects and people that leave the child’s LOS cease to exist for him.
Toward the end of the first year, children begin to understand that such objects continue to exist even if out of view –> sometimes results in separation anxiety (realization that mother is still there, but can no longer see)
Normal autistic phase
Occurs in the first postnatal month when children are in a state of self-involvement and alck of interest in others that in older children, signifies psychopathology.
What is the major task of the first year of life?
To form an attachment to the mother or the primary caregiver
Toddler (age group)
18 months to 3 years
Terrible twos
a period in a child’s early social development (typically around the age of two years) that is associated with defiant or unruly behavior.
Social interaction of toddlers
Toddlers like to be in the company of other children but do NOT yet play with others in a cooperative fashion.
Rather, play at this age takes the form of parallel play, that is playing next to but not reciprocally with other children.
Parallel play
Toddlers (18 months to 3 years) like to be in the company of other children but do NOT yet play with others in a cooperative fashion.
Rather, play at this age takes the form of parallel play, that is playing next to but not reciprocally with other children.
Toddler - milestones
- Parallel play with other children
- Terrible twos (defiance/negativity, but an understanding of language)
- Bladder control (beginning of bladder control and will be completely by 3 years in a majority and 4-5years in some others)
- Autonomy
- gender identity (understand if male/female)
At what age do children begin to gain bladder control?
They start to gain this at the end of their toddler years ~2 years. Control will be complete by typically 3rd year or sometimes go as late as 4 or 5 years
Preschool child (age group)
3-6 years
Preschool - milestones
- sibling rivalry
- regression
- between 2-4 years, vocabulary increases dramatically
- active fantasy life (imaginary life), but also understands they are not real
- cooperative play at 4 years
- strong fear of bodily injury (not a good time for elective surgeries)
- curiosity about bodies – playing doctor
Sibling rivalry
The birth of a sibling often occurs around age of 3 years in US, threatens the important primary relationship and may lead to jealousy or sibling rivalry
Regression
A consequence of sibling rivlary or any other life stressor such as changing residence.
The child may demand to have his bottle back or begin to wet the bed again etc… This reaction is temporary
Anxiety physical manifestations
Sympathetic NS - diaphoresis, mydriasis, tachycardia, tremor
GI/GU - diarrhea, increased urinary frequency
hyperventilation –> dizziness and syncope, parasthesia
Numbness and tingling in the extremiities and around the mouth
Anxiety psychological manifestations
restlessness, irritability, trouble concentrating, worry
Diagnosis of Anxiety (3)
- Be persistent (generally >6 months)
- shorter periods for children
- Interfere with normal functioning (work, job, marriage, etc…)
- Cause significant stress
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - DSM-V
- Excessive anxiety/worry, occurring more days than nor for ≥ 6 months,
- Difficult to control worry
- associated with ≥ 3 of the following symptoms
- restlessness
- easily fatigued
- difficulty concentration
- irritability
- muscle tension
- sleep disturbance
- causes significant impairment
- No other explanation for symptoms (physical, chemical, or mental)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
The front line treatment for a lot of anxiety disorders. Most evidence based mode of treatment
Use of congitive (thinking) and mental techniques as a mode of therapy to basically essentially remove the mind from a current state. Examples:
- statistical mental analysis
- guided imagery
Behavioral techniques
- deep breathing
- mediatation
- self-hypnosis
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) - examples
Cognitive
- statistical mental analysis
- guided imagery
Behavioral techniques
- deep breathing
- mediatation
- self-hypnosis
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) - front line treatment medication
SSRIs and some SNRIs
Increases in SR or NE or both downregulates or desensitizes receptors
SSRI - Citalopram/Paroxetine
SNRI - venlafaxine / Duloxetine
SSRI/SNRI mechanism of treatment for GAD
Increases 5HT and NE or both which downregulates/desensitizes receptors
Put so much 5HT/NE into the patient’s system that when they do have an anxiety attack, their brain doesn’t really see it as much due to the desensitization
Medications for GAD
- Antidepressants - SSRIs/SNRIs front line treatment
- SSRI - esCitalopram, Paroxetine
- SNRIs - Venlafaxine, Duloxetine
- Increases 5HT/NE to downregulate/desensitize receptors
- Weight gain and sexual side effects
- Buspirone (5HT1a receptor agonist)
- initially lowers 5HT activity as these auto receptors (5HT1a are autoreceptors that downregulate 5HT activity). However overtime, the stimulate of these receptors causes their degradation and ultimately increase 5HT output.
- less sexual and weight gain side effects than SSRI/SNRIs
- ONLY FDA approved for GAD, nothing else
- initially lowers 5HT activity as these auto receptors (5HT1a are autoreceptors that downregulate 5HT activity). However overtime, the stimulate of these receptors causes their degradation and ultimately increase 5HT output.
- Benzodiazepines (GABA-A receptor modulator – allows more Cl- channels to open)
- 2nd line due to risk of addiction, falls, apnea
What drug is ONLY FDA approved for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?
- Buspirone (5HT1a receptor agonist)
-
Mechanism: initially lowers 5HT activity as these auto receptors (5HT1a are autoreceptors that downregulate 5HT activity). However overtime, the stimulate of these receptors causes their degradation and ultimately increase 5HT output.
- less sexual and weight gain side effects than SSRI/SNRIs
How are ß-blockers used for anxiety?
Only performance anxiety. Not used to treat generalized anxiety
Panic disorder (DSM V Diagnostic criteria)
- An abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort, peaks within minutes, that is unexpected with ≥ 4 of the following:
- palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated HR
- sweating
- shaking/trembling
- sensation of SOB or smothering
- choking feeling
- chest pain/discomfort
- nausea
- dissiness, lightheadedness or fainting
- chills or heat
- parasthesias
- derealization
- fear of losing control
- fear of dying
- Recurrent panic attacks
- ≥ 1 attack followed by ≥ 1 month of ≥ 1 of the following
- concern about additional panic attacks or consequences
- significant maladaptive change in behavior related to attacks (typically phobic avoidance –agoraphobia)
- No other explanations for symptoms (physical, chemical, mental)
Panic attack
An abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort, peaks within minutes, that is unexpected with ≥ 4 of the following:
- palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated HR
- sweating
- shaking/trembling
- sensation of SOB or smothering
- choking feeling
- chest pain/discomfort
- nausea
- dissiness, lightheadedness or fainting
- chills or heat
- parasthesias
- derealization
- fear of losing control
- fear of dying
agoraphobia
Fear an actual or anticipated situation, such as using public transportation, being in open or enclosed spaces, standing in line or being in a crowd.
Highly associated with panic disorders/attacks but may be caused by other things
Panic disorder prognosis
Chronic and recurring
increased risk of depression and suicide
Panic disorder occurence/prevalence
1.5-3.5% prevalencein general population
Females > males
Panic disorder treatment
Therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Systemic desensitization(step by step progression to doing the thing you fear the most) or flooding (immerse the person in the environment they fear the most and basically overflood their senses and eventually fine)
- Psychodynamic therapy
Medication
- emergency treatment: fast-acting benzodiazepines (alprazolam)
- Long term 1st line: SSRI/SNRI
- Intermediate or long acting benzos (not 1st line. 2nd due to addiction potential)
Combination treatment
Systemic desensitization or flooding
- Systemic desensitization - step by step progression to doing the thing you fear the most
- Flooding - immersion of the person in the environment they fear the most and basically overflood their senses and eventually fine
A type of cognitive behavioral treatment. (used in panic disorders, although not common)
Performance anxiety
A type of social anxiety. Technically called “social anxiety - performance type”
ONLY associated with performances and the anxiety that develops in any relationship to performances.
fear is restricted to public speaking or performing and does not generalize to other social aspects of life
Phobia (specific phobia)
Diagnostic criteria (DSM-V)
- ≥ 6 months
- causes significant impairment
- marked fear/anxiety about a specific object/situation
- object/situation almost always provokes fear/anxiety
- actively avoids object/situation
- fear/anxiety out of proportion to actual danger
- no other explanation for symptoms
Types of specific phobias:
- couirophobia - fear of clowns
- ophidiophobia - fear of snakes
- aerophobia - fear of airplanes
- iatrophobia - fear of going to the doctor
- etc…
Social anxiety disorder
Also referred to as Social phobia (same diagnostic criteria as specific phobia but for socialization purposes)
- ≥ 6 months
- causes significant impairment
- marked fear/anxiety about a specific object/situation
- object/situation almost always provokes fear/anxiety
- actively avoids object/situation
- fear/anxiety out of proportion to actual danger
- no other explanation for symptoms
Performance only - fear is restricted to public speaking or performing and does not generalize to other social aspects of life
Specific phobia - treatment
Therapy (1st line): flooding, systemic desensitization (CBT)
Medication: sedatives such as benzos (especially if it is a one time thing/exposure)
social anxiety disorder (social phobia) - treatment
Therapy: CBT, assertiveness, training, group therapy
Medication
- SSRI/SNRI (1st line): paroxetine / venlafaxine
- MAOI: Phenetzine, tranylcypromine
- ß blockers (propranolol) - 1st line for performance only
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – DSM-V Definition
Criterion A: The presence of obsessions and compulsions
Criterion B: These obsessions and compulsions must be either
- Time consuming (>1hr/day) or
- Cause clinically significant distress
{Either 1 or 2 from Criterion B}
- Are not substance-induced
- Not better explained as symptoms of another mental or medical disorder
What is an ‘obsession’?
Recurrent/persistent thoughts, urges, and/or images
Intrusive & unwanted
- sometimes called ego dystonic (means person recognizes it is wrong and doesn’t want to do it)
- cause the person anxiety/distress
Patient treis to ignore/supress these intrusive thoughts OR they try to neutralize them with a thought or action
- this is an undoing ego defense mechanism
- a compulsion to do something to reduce the anxiety/distress
What is an ‘compulsion’?
Repetitive behavior or activity that the patient performs in response to an obsession or as a set of rules that must be strictly adhered to.
- A compulsion typically undoes or reduces anxiety (typically an obession)
- stopping the compulsion often dramatically increases anxiety
ego-dystonic
of or relating to aspects of one’s behavior or attitudes viewed as inconsistent with one’s fundamental beliefs and personality (contrasted with ego-syntonic )
Ego-syntonic
a term referring to behaviors, values, and feelings that are in harmony with or acceptable to the needs and goals of the ego, or consistent with one’s ideal self-image.
OCD prevalence
Men & women equally affected
Lifetime prevalence: 2-3%
50-70% have onset after a stressful event
Mean onset: Men = 19 years / Women = 22 years
OCD prognosis
Long, but variable course
20-30% have significant improvement
40-50% have moderate improvement
20-40% remain ill or worsen
Likely the hardest anxiety to treat
OCD - treatment
Psychotherapy
- CBT: as effective as pharmacotherapy, with longer-lasting effecting
- Exposure and response prevention (ERP) - basically step by step controlled exposure to withhold the compulsion, a desensitization protocol
- ACT: Acceptance and commitment Therapy for obsessions - putting the image in their head of their compulsion. So a controlled method of basically desensitization to the obsession.
- Supportive Psychotherapy? Dynamic Psychotherapy
Pharmacotherapy (best results when + psychotherapy)
- 1st line: SSRIs, higher-dosage and duration than MDD (major depressive disorder)
- 2nd line: clomipramine (a TCA, approved for OCD)
- 3rd line: antipsychotics, other antidepressants
- Benzodiapeine sedatives do not work.
Exposure and response prevention (ERP)
a step by step controlled exposure to withhold the compulsion, a desensitization protocol. Used in the treatment for OCD
ACT: Acceptance and commitment Therapy
putting the image in their head of their obsession. If it is fear of the death of her family, keep talking to her about the death of her family and conjure images of it in her head until the point that the idea is desensitized.
Basically desensitization to the point where the patient no longer cares or just accepts it for what it is and does not have any more compulsions for that obsession
Used in treatment for OCD
First drug approved for OCD
Clomipramine - a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (200x stronger affinity than for NE)
Also has antagonistic properties at the histamine H1 receptor, muscarinic ACh receptors and α1 adrenergic receptor
- difference between SSRIs and TCAs is the anti-cholinergic properties –> dry mouth, blurred vision, tachycardia, constipation
- very hard for patients to stay on these drugs due to side effects
What is most common thing that could cause PTSD?
Death of a loved one
What is the most likely thing to caused PTSD?
Assault
What are the greatest variables associated with PTSD?
- Proximity
- Harm by another human
- severity
- repetition
PTSD (DMS-V Definition)
Criterion A
Exposure to actual or threatened traumatic event:
- death
- serious injury
- sexual violence
- Symptoms must be present for > 1 month
- Symptoms must cause significant distress/impairment
- Symptoms must not be the result of a substance or other medical condition
Criterion B
≥ 1 “Intrusion Symptom” associated with event
- Reliving of events
- distressing memories of the event
- distressing dream/nightmares related ot the event
- dissocative reaction during which the patient feels and/or acts as if events are recurring (flashbacks)
Criterion C
Avoidance of stimuli associated with tramuatic event
- avoid memories/thoughts/feelings about or associated with event
- avoid external reminders (people/places/situations) that may arouse such memories, thoughts or feelings
- avoid interpersonal connectivity - estrangement, lack of commitment, unwilling to settle down, reclusiveness
Criterion D
Negative changes in cognition and mood associated with event (≥ 2 of the following)
- inability to remember an important part of the event, due to dissociative amnesia or repression
- presistent, exaggerated beliefs/expectations of oneslef, others, or the world (ie paranoid stance)
- distortion of thoughts/memories of the event, causing the individual to blame themselves/others
- persistently negative emotional state
- decreased interest in participating in daily activities
- feeling of detachment from others
- inability to experience positive emotions
Criterion E
alterations in arousal/reactivity (≥ 2 of the following)
- irritable behavior/angry outbursts, expressed as verbal or physical aggression towards other people/objects
- reckless/self-destructive behavior
- hypervigilance
- exaggerated startle response
- problems with concentration
- sleep disturbances
Modes of exposure in PTSD
Exposure of death, serious injury, or sexual violence must have occured in one of the following ways
- Directly experiencing event(s)
- Witnessing event(s) as occured to others
- Learning that a family member/friend experience such an event
- Directly experiencing repeated/extreme exposure to horrific details of an event
Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)
Basically early PTSD
Key is the timeframe. PTSD
Only difference: Criteria B-D must persist for 3days - 1 month after exposure (vs >1 month for PTSD)
Earlier treatment can decrease the risk of full PTSD onset
PTSD & ASD - summary/short version
Must be exposed to life-threatening or potentially fatal situation
5 categories of symptoms must be present
- Re-experiencing the event (dreams, flashbacks, etc…)
- Avoidance (of thoughts, feelings, memories, people, etc…)
- Dissociative symptoms (Dissociative amnesia, time slowing, etc…)
- Negative mood
- Changes in arousal (Hyper-arousal, hypervigilance, sleep changes, decreased concentration, etc…)
ASD: Symptoms present 3 days to 1 month after exposure
PTSD: Symptoms present >1 month after exposure
PTSD & ASD occurence/prevalence
Lifetime prevalence
- PTSD - 8%
- ASD - 5-15%
Women > men
PTSD & ASD - treatment
Psychotherapy:
- Initial support, grounding, validation of feelings
- Relive event vs seal over and move on (as in other disorders)
Pharmacotherapy
- 1st line: SSRIs
- 2nd line: TCAs (Amitryptyline & Imipramine), atypical antipsychotics
- 3rd: MAOi, trazodone, anticonvulsants, clonidine, propanolol
Prazosin (α1 inhibitor) for nightmares
Dyssomnia
- sleep disorder characterized by problems in timing, quality, or amount of sleep
examples: insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy
Parasomnia
- sleep disorder characterized by abnormalities in physiology or behavior associated with sleep
examples: Bruxism, nightmare disorder, sleep terror disorder, sleepwalking disorder
Insomnia (DSM-V diagnosis)
- Complaint of dissatisfaction with sleep quantity or quality associated with at least one of the following symptoms
- difficulty initating sleep
- difficulty maintaining sleep
- early-morning awakening with inability to return to sleep
- Sleep disturbance causes distress or impairment in social, occupation, educational, academic, behavioral, or other important areas of functioning
- Disturbance occurs at least 3 nights/week and for >3 months
- Not attributable to other substances or disorders
Excitatory neurotransmitters in excess at night in insomnia
- Norepinephrine from the locus ceruleus (keeps you awake, alert via frontal lobe stimulation)
- Serotonin from the raphe nucleus (pushes you into lighter sleep)
- Dopamine from the ventral tegmental area
- Histamine from the tuberomammillary nucleus
Inhibitory neurotransmitter deficiency at night in insomnia
- Loss GABA tone
- Loss of melatonergic tone
- Loss of adenosinergic tone
Delusional disorder
Patients have a crystallized, often single delusion
They do not have hallucinations or thought disorder like schizophrenia
They often have normal lives
delusions cannot be substance induced or due to another disease
Capgras delusion
imposter delusion
Delusion where pt feels like someone has been replaced by an imposter
Fregoli delusion
Delusion belief that different people are in fact a single person who changes appearance or is in disguise.
Vampirism
Delusion that one is a vampire
Lycanthropy
the delusion that one is a werewolf
Folie a Deux
syndrome in which symptosm of a delusion is transmitted to another
Foli imposee - likely has the delusion
Folie simultanee - incorporates delusion into his/her life
Cotard’s delusion
a rare mental illness, in which an afflicted person holds the delusion that they are dead, either figuratively or literally.
Typically occurs with another disease, but can occur by itself.
Krokodil (desomorphine)
Heroin-like drug that rots flesh and bone
Drug is injected into a user’s tissue can turn the skin scaly and green like a crocodile.
Festering sores, abscesses and blood poisoning are often seen among users.
Morgellons
aka delusional parasitosis
patient believes they are infested, can see and often see or feel parasites in or on them
delusional parasitosis
aka morgellons
patient believes they are infested, can see and often see or feel parasites in or on them