Laz Psych Histories Flashcards
differential diagnosis of normal bereavement
- depression
- adjustment disorder
- substance misuse
- BPAD
Investigations for normal bereavement
- PHQ9 to assess baseline level of depression
- investigations for physical causes: FBC (anaemia), TFTs, cortisol
management of normal bereavement
- assess risk
- grief counselling
- offer support helplines (e.g. Samaritans, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM - only for men)
- CBT
- Antidepressants (SSRIs e.g. sertraline)
- IAPT
what are some features of abnormal grief?
- extreme/ intense (disabling)
- lasting >6 months
- delayed
what are some physical causes of depression?
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Hypothyroidism
- Addison’s disease
- Dementia
- Head injury
- Stroke
- MS
what are some cognitive symptoms of depression?
- selective memory for negative events
- pathological guilt
- feeling of guilt about being a burden on others
- pessimism
what are the components of Beck’s cognitive triad?
- Negative views about the self (worthless)
- Negative views about the world (helpless)
- Negative views about the future (hopeless)
Features of Lewy Body dementia
- confusion (mixing up names etc)
- falls
- hallucinations
- fluctuating
potential other differentials for Lewy Body dementia
- vascular dementia
- Alzheimer’s disease
- derlirium
- pseudodementia
investigations for Lewy Body Dementia
- physical exam: resting tremor, cogwheel rigidity in wrist
- AMTS: 5/10
- MMSE: 21/30
- FBC, U&Es, glucose, TFTs (NAD)
- CT/ MRI (mild atrophy)
management of lewy body dementia
- adaptations for patient (with an OT): reality orientation, environmental modifications
- social support/ support carers
- optimising physical health (review meds)
- psychological therapies (e.g. reminiscence therapy)
- Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors may provide symptomatic relief
- Parkinsonian symptoms can be treated with Parkinson’s drugs but this can make hallucinatiosn worse
reversible causes of dementia
- brain (subdural haematoma, SOL, NPH)
- endocrine (Addison’s, Cushing’s disease)
- Vitamin deficiency (B12, folate, thiamine (Wernicke’s), niacin (pellagra)
- Neurosyphilis
key differences between between DLB, AD and VD
- VD has stepwise decline, DLB and AD has a more gradual decline
- AD has insidious onset, VD is sudden and DLB varies
- DLB causes parkinsonism, hallucinations and syncope
- short term memory is less affected than in VD and AD
risk factors for VD
- vascular risk factors (CVD, HTN, high cholesterol, diabetes)
CT changes in AD, VD and DLB
AD - gernealised atrophy
DLB - mild atrophy
VD - multiple lucencies
name a congenital condition that increases the risk of developing AD
Down syndrome
differential diagnoses for anorexia nervosa
- bulimia nervosa
- physical cause (e.g. hyperthyroidism, GI disease)
- depression
- eating disorder not otherwise specified
- body dysmorphic disorder
investigations in anorexia nervosa
- physical exam: emaciated, lanugo hair, very thin
- height and weight, BMI
- squat test: difficulty standing from squatting without help
- TFTs (NAD)
- FBC: low Hb
management of anorexia nervosa
- speak to child directly and figure out stressors
- explore the possibility of OCD
1st: Anorexia-focused family therapy
2nd: ED-CBT - other options: specialist supportive clinical management (SSCM), Maudsley Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults (MANTRA)
- treat co-morbid OCD if necessary: education and self help, ERP
how do you counsel a patient with anorexia nervosa
- condition characterised by restriction of energy intake leading to low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight and a disturbance in the way an individual perceived their body shape/weight
- this can lead to several physical health problems so want to help you get to a healthy weight
- involve attending anorexia-focused family therapy (involved showing you how you can support your daughter in returning to normal pattern of behaviour)
- also possible to have some features of OCD (obsessions and compulsions) which is something we’d like to explore further and see whether treatment is necessary
difference between anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa
bulimia is characterised by periods of bingeing followed by purging (using laxatives, forced vomiting, diuretics)
physical complications of anorexia nervosa?
physical complications of anorexia nervosa
- bradycardia and hypotension (risk of sudden death)
- GI upset (constipation, abdo pain, ulcers)
- amenorrhoea and infertility
- osteoporosis
- peripheral neuropathy
medical causes of weight loss
- hyperthyroidism
- malignancy
- GI diseasse (e.g. coeliac disease)
- Addison’s
mortality rate of anorexia nervosa
10%
when might inpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa be needed?
- BMI < 13 or rapid weight loss
- serious physical complications
- high suicide risk
- MHA may be used to enforce compulsory feeding
Paranoid schizophrenia features to ask about
- auditory hallucinations
- visual hallucinations
- delusional beliefs and thought disorder
- risk
- insight
investigations to investigate paranoid schizophrenia
- physical exam: assess baseline, rule out organic causes
- FBC, TFTs, U&Es and glucose
- lipids: before starting anti-psychotics
- urine drugs screen
differential diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia
- substance misuse
- FEP
- mood disorder
management of paranoid schizophrenia
- biopsychosocial model
- biological therapies: antipsychotics
- psychological therapies: CBT, family therapy, concordance therapy
- social interventions: admission, social skills training, education, mood disorder
how would you counsel a schizophrenic patient?
- voices you are hearing and feelings you have been feeling are due to an imbalance in the chemicals in your brain
- normally when you see something in life it will trigger a change in chemicals in your brain to help you understand what is going on
- if chemicals are unbalanced, it can cause you to see/ hear things that other people don’t see and hear
- can give medication that can help balance these chemicals and make these symptoms go away
what is the MOA of atypical antipsychotics?
blocks dopamine receptors and serotonin receptors
side effects of anti-psychotics
- extra-pyramidal: dystonia, akathisia, parkinsonism, tardive dyskinesia, hyperprolactinaemia (galactorrhoea)
- weight gain
- sedation
- dyslipidaemia
what are Schneider’s First-Rank Symptoms?
- delusional perception
- passivity
- delusions of thought interference (insertion, withdrawal, broadcasting)
- auditory hallucinations (thought echo, 3rd person voices, running commentary)
what is schizoid personality disorder?
- lack of interest in social or intimate relationships
- difficulty with expressing emotions
- prefer solitary lifestyle
differential diagnoses for delirium
- FEP
- intoxication
- dementia
- if taking steroids = steroid induced psychosis
management of delirium
- admit: delirium fluctuates so even if they are lucid right now, they could deteriorate if they go home
- identify source of infection (CXR, stool culture) or cause of delirium
- treat cause
define delirium
acute confusional state resulting from physical cause e.g. infection
name some drugs that can cause psychosis
- steroids
- ethambutol
- cannabis
- cocaine
Management of OCD
- 1st: CBT
- 2nd: SSRI (usually at high dose)
how do you counsel someone with OCD?
the symptoms described are suggestive of OCD, have you heard much about this before?
it is a condition in which you have recurrent intrusive thoughts to do something and it can really disturb your life
This can be managed using something called CBT (explain CBT)
what are the key differences between an obsession and a delusional belief?
- thoughts are identified as your own
- thoughts are repetitive and intrusive
- evidence of resistance by the patient (as least in early stages)
- signs of avoidance