Mental Illness

Question 1

What is the criteria for bipolar affective disorder type 1?

Answer 1

one episode must be mania plus depression, hypomania or mixed affective state

Question 2

What is the criteria for bipolar affective disorder type 2?

Answer 2

hypomania plus depression

no episode can be mania or mixed affective state

Question 3

What pathway is responsible for the positive symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 3

mesolimbic

Question 4

What pathway is responsible for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 4

mesocortical

Question 5

What are the 3 core symptoms of depression?

Answer 5

low mood, anhedonia, anergia

Question 6

What is the affect of depression on the hippocampus?

Answer 6

it has a reduced bilateral volume the longer the symptoms have been going on
as it is involved in memory and learning older people may present with clinically depressive pseudo dementia

Question 7

What traits is the ventromedial prefrontal cortex associated with?

Answer 7

pain, aggression, libido and appetite

Question 8

in depression the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex is hypoactive. What symptoms would this produce?

Answer 8

dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex maintains working memory, sustained attention and executive function. In depression patients can present with psychomotor retardation, apathy, memory and attention deficits

Question 9

The lateral orbital prefrontal cortex is hyperactive in depression. What symptoms does this produce?

Answer 9

enhanced sensitivity to distress, anger, anxiety

negative ruminations

Question 10

What is a hypnogogic hallucination?

Answer 10

hallucination as you go to sleep

Question 11

What is a hypnopompic hallucination

Answer 11

hallucination as you wake up

Question 12

What are the key differences between grief and depression?

Answer 12

symptoms wax and wane in grief, depressive symptoms are pervasive
shame and guilt are less common
threaten suicide less often
symptoms can last up to a year in grief, depression normally persists longer
normally return to baseline level of functioning within 2 months

Question 13

What is reactive depression?

Answer 13

no familial pattern, reaction to stressful life events, about 75% of cases

Question 14

What is endogenous depression?

Answer 14

show a familial pattern, unrelated to external stresses

Question 15

What does the monoamine hypothesis state?

Answer 15

depression is caused by a functional deficit of the monoamine transmitters, noradrenaline and serotonin

Question 16

Are the levels of plasma cortisol high or low in depressed patients?

Answer 16

high

growth hormone concentration is reduced and prolactin increased

Question 17

What is the link between corticotrophin releasing hormone and depression?

Answer 17

CRH hyper function has been linked with depression
increased CRH levels leads to loss of appetite, diminished activity and increased signs of anxiety
Cushings syndrome has been linked with depression - excessive glucocorticoid secretion

Question 18

What are Schneiders first rank symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 18

delusions, auditory hallucinations, thought disorder, passivity experience

Question 19

In a patient diagnosed with metabolic syndrome after being treated for schizophrenia with Clozapine, what is the appropriate next step in the management?

Answer 19

screening and monitoring of lifestyle changes
if patient is unable to make the changes, Aripiprazole has been found to be effective in reducing clozapine like side effects

Question 20

What are the three overlapping factors that need to be considered when looking at the risk of a schizophrenic patient developing metabolic syndrome?

Answer 20

lifestyle factors
aspects of psychotic disorder - patients with schizoaffective disorder are at higher risk than those with schizophrenia
antipsychotic medication

Question 21

Which drug counteracts the side effects of Clozapine?

Answer 21

aripiprazole

Question 22

What technique is used in treating post traumatic stress disorder?

Answer 22

eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing

Question 23

What is dysthymia?

Answer 23

mood disorder with the same cognitive problems as depression but less severe and with longer lasting affects