Mental Status Exam

Question 1

Initially, when trying to determine the mental status of a patient, what are the 5 things to assess to quickly ascertain whether pathology is present or not?

Answer 1

Level of consciousness, appearance, activity, emotional state and memory.

Question 2

If possible, the mental status examination should occur in what two settings?

Answer 2

When the physician is alone with the patient and then again with family present so they can give insight as well.

Question 3

If the general assessment does reveal areas of concern and a more thorough exam is warranted, how do we generally proceed?

Answer 3

Separate the more in depth exam into two parts:

1. Observations made by the physician about the patients physical state
2. Cognitive evaluation in which the patients neurological and psychological functioning is assessed.

Question 4

What are the 11 different functions assessed in the cognitive portion?

Answer 4

Attention, executive functioning, gnosia, language, memory, orientation, praxis, prosody, thought content, thought processing, and visual spatial proficiency.

Question 5

What 3 functions are we assessing in the general observation portion?

Answer 5

Appearance and behavior
Mood and affect
Motor activity

Question 6

According to the national institute on aging and the Alzheimer’s association, diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia requires what?

Answer 6

A deficit in at least 2 cognitive or behavioral functions

Question 7

What is the most widely researched cognitive testing tool and what is the second one and what 3 things does it assess? Which test is preferred?

Answer 7

MMSE
Mini Cog: executive functioning, memory, and visual spatial proficiency

Mini cog is preferred

Question 8

7 things on test that will support dementia?

Answer 8

Counting, clock drawing or trail making, gnosia, inappropriate reading/writing, short term and long term memory, copy down objects on paper, hallucinations

Question 9

6 findings when being assessed that support substance abuse?

Answer 9

Disheveled, mood problems, short term memory, hallucinations, generally apparent, suicide

Question 10

8 findings when being assessed that support depression?

Answer 10

Disheveled, poor eye contact, Bradykinesia, Catalonia, slow speech, inappropriate reading/writing level, questions about time, delusions, hallucinations, suicide.

Question 11

9 findings when being assessed that support psychotic disorder?

Answer 11

Disheveled, paranoid, poor eye contact, Catatonia, count, clock drawing test/trail making test, delusions, homicidal, obsessions.

Question 12

3 findings when being assessed that support anxiety?

Answer 12

Irritable, akathsia, phobias,

Question 13

7 findings when being assessed that support stroke?

Answer 13

Clock drawing/trail making test, agnosia, inappropriate reading/writing level, long term memory, time questions, muscle memory, copy things onto paper.

Question 14

4 findings when being assessed that support PTSD?

Answer 14

Akathisia, obsessions, phobias, and suicide.

Question 15

8 findings when being assessed that support schizophrenia?

Answer 15

Disheveled, mood, akathisia, bradykinesia, catatonia, slow speech, inappropriate speech, hallucinations,

Question 16

6 findings when being assessed that support mood disorder?

Answer 16

Mood problems, akathisia, count by sevens, clock drawing test, identify emotion, Homicidal,

Question 17

5 findings when being assessed that support delirium?

Answer 17

Count by sevens, clock drawing test, slow speech, time questions, muscle memory, hallucinations, copy cubes on paper.

Question 18

4 findings when being assessed that support mania?

Answer 18

Rapid speech, time questions, delusions, hallucinations,

Question 19

3 findings when being assessed that support personality disorder?

Answer 19

Provocative, inappropriate conversation, homicidal

Question 20

2 findings when being assessed that support ADHD?

Answer 20

Count by sevens, short term memory

Question 21

1 findings when being assessed that support dissociative and movement disorder?

Answer 21

Long term memory