Mental Status Examination  Flashcards

1
Q

What are the components of a Mental Status Examination?

A
  • Level of consciousness
  • Cognition
  • Attention
  • Orientation
  • Memory
  • Language
  • Perception
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2
Q

What is the definition of alert in levels of consciousness?

A

Awake and attending; responds and is awake to conversations

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3
Q

What does lethargic mean in levels of consciousness?

A

Lethargic:

  • Drowsy, may fall asleep if not stimulated, difficulty focusing, loud voice needed.
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4
Q

What is delirium often characterized by?

A

Confusion of the circumstances, may hallucinate or act as if in dream state; conversation may not make sense

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5
Q

Define obtunded in levels of consciousness.

A

Confused, difficult to arouse, interactions with therapist highly unproductive

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6
Q

What does stupor indicate?

A

Semi-coma, responds only to strong/noxious stimuli, unable to interact with the therapist

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7
Q

What are the characteristics of a coma?

A

Deep coma, cannot be aroused by any stimulation, GCS score of less than 8

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8
Q

What is a coma?

A

Complete loss of the arousal system, unable to be awakened with reflex and postural response motor function, no sleep/wake cycles.

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9
Q

Define a vegetative state.

A

Loss of awareness to self and environment, sleep/wake cycles with motor function response to noxious stimuli only.

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10
Q

What is a minimally conscious state?

A

Minimally Conscious State:

  • Partial preservation of conscious awareness including inconsistent localized responses to noxious stimulation or sound, verbalization, purposeful behavior such as holding objects and visual pursuit.
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11
Q

What is the Glasgow Coma Scale used for?

A

Glasgow Coma Scale:

  • To monitor level of consciousness and coma in patients with brain injury, especially in acute care and trauma setting.
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12
Q

What is the scoring ranges of the Glasgow Coma Scale?

minor, moderate, severe

A

Between 3-15

  • Minor Brain injury = 13-15 points
  • Moderate Brain injury 9-12 points
  • Severe Brain injury = 3-8 points
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13
Q

What does an initial GCS score of 3 indicate?

A
  • Severe brain injury
  • Mortality between 65-99%
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14
Q

What does the Ranchos Los Amigos Levels of Cognitive Functioning (RLOCF) describe?

A

The cognitive and emotional behaviors of patients emerging from coma or minimally conscious state.

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15
Q

What assistance is required for levels I-III III in RLOCF?

A

Total assistance

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16
Q

What does levels IV-V in RLOCF require?

A

Maximal assistance

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17
Q

What is required for level VI in RLOCF?

A

Moderate assistance

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18
Q

What is needed for level VII in RLOCF?

A

Minimal assistance for routine tasks

19
Q

What does level VIII in RLOCF require?

A

Stand-by assistance

20
Q

What does A&O x4 stand for?

A

Alert and Oriented to…

  • Person
  • Place
  • Time
  • Situation
21
Q

What is selective attention?

A

Selective Attention:

  • The ability to select important/relevant information while ignoring other sources of information.
  • Ability of a patient to follow the therapist’s verbal cues while ignoring nearby conversation.
23
Q

What is divided attention?

A

Divided Attention:

  • The ability to process more than one source of information or to perform more than one task at a time.
  • Ability to talk while walking or to take money out of a wallet while walking.
25
What is attention switching or alternating attention?
**Attention Switching** or **Alternating Attention**: * The ability to switch attention between two tasks or sources of information as needed for the task and environment. * Patient stops conversing to perform a difficult task, then resumes talking once complete.
26
Give an example of attention switching.
Patient stops conversing to perform a difficult task, then resumes talking once complete.
27
28
What is sustained attention also called?
Vigilance
29
Where is sustained attention believed to be a function of?
The right hemisphere
30
How is sustained attention tested?
By asking the patient to repeat numbers or tap a hand when a specific letter is heard.
31
What is the Walking While Talking Test (WWTT)?
A test where the patient walks 20 feet, turns, and returns 20 feet while performing a simple talking task, then repeats with a more complex task.
32
What does the WWTT test predict?
Falls in older adults
33
What is the cut score for the simple talking test in WWTT?
20+ seconds
34
What is the cut score for the complex talking test in WWTT?
33+ seconds
35
What is the [Mini Mental Status Examination](https://cgatoolkit.ca/Uploads/ContentDocuments/MMSE.pdf) (MMSE)?
**Mini Mental Status Examination** (**MMSE**): * A standardized test for assessing cognitive function.
36
What is the [Montreal Cognitive Assessment](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/montreal-cognitive-assessment) (MoCA) **?** * Cutoff score = **?**
**Montreal Cognitive Assessment** (**MoCA**): * A cognitive test used to assess various cognitive abilities. ## Footnote * Cutoff score < 26
37
What is the cutoff score for the MoCA?
<26
38
39
What are the two types of memory associated with memory and learning **?**
**I**) **Explicit memory** (declarative memory): * Explicit memory include remembering a specific fact, a specific event, or the steps required to complete a task. **II**) **Implicit memory** (Procedural or Nondeclarative memory) * Memory for tasks or information performed without conscious thought, such as tying shoes. ## Footnote * Learning and memory can be of two types.
40
41
What is short-term memory (STM)?
**Short-term memory** (STM / Recent Memory): * The capability to remember current day-to-day events and retrieve material after minutes, hours, or days.
42
What is long-term memory (LTM)?
**Long-term memory** (LTM / Remote Memory): * The recall of facts or events that occurred years before.
43
What are the standardized tests for screening depression?
I) **Geriatric Depression** Scale: * Scores of 0-4 are considered **normal** * 5-8 indicate **mild depressive** symptoms * 8-11 indicate **moderate depressive** symptoms * 12-15 indicate **severe depressive** symptoms II) **Beck Depression** Inventory: * “Feeling sad or depressed can cause you to think or even move differently This questionnaire looks at your overall mood and feelings. * Please answer YES or NO to each question even if the answer varies day to day. * Try to give the answer that BEST describes how you feel most of the time. * If you need help reading the questions, I can read them for you.”