mental status examination (MSE)

Question 1

MSE exam

Answer 1

a systematic assessment of an individua’s appearance, affect, behavior, and cognitive processes

–> subjective to examiner

Question 2

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Delusions of Control

Answer 2

belief that one’s thoughts are controlled by an outside force

Question 3

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Thought Insertion

Answer 3

belief that thoughts are being inserted into one’s mind by someone else

Question 4

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Thought Broadcasting

Answer 4

belief that one’s thoughts are obvious to others or a being broadcast to the world

Question 5

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Ideas of Reference

Answer 5

the belief that other people, objects, and events are related to or have a special significance for one’s self (ex. The person on TV is talking directly to you)

Question 6

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Paranoid Delusions

Answer 6

an irrational distrust of others an/or the belief that others are harassing, threatening

Question 7

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Bizarre Delusions

Answer 7

an absurd or implausible belief (ex. The electricity is making me gain weight)

Question 8

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Somatic Delusions

Answer 8

a false belief involving the body or bodily functions

Question 9

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Delusions of Grandeur

Answer 9

an exaggerated belief of one’s importance of power (reference to sovereignty or super powers)

Question 10

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Religious Delusions

Answer 10

the belief that one is an agent of or specially favoured by a greater being

Question 11

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Erotomania

Answer 11

belief that someone (often a public figure) unknown to the individual is in love or in a relationship with them

Question 12

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Loosening of Associations

Answer 12

he back of logical relationship between thoughts and ideas; conversations shift from one topic to another in a completely unrelated manner, making it confusion and difficult to follow

Question 13

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Circumstantiality

Answer 13

the individual takes a long time to make a point because his or her conversation is indirect and contains excessive and unnecessary detail (over inclusive)

Question 14

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Tangentiality

Answer 14

similar to circumstantiality, except the speaker does not return to a central point

Question 15

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Thought Blocking

Answer 15

an abruptive pause or interruption in one’s train of thoughts, after which the individual cannot recall what they were saying

Question 16

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Neologisms

Answer 16

the creation of new words

Question 17

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Flight of Ideas

Answer 17

rapid, continuous verbalization, with frequent shifting from one topic to another

Question 18

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Preservation

Answer 18

a persisting response to a stimulus even after a new stimulus has been presented

Question 19

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Clang Associations

Answer 19

the use of words or phrases that have similar sounds but are not associated in meaning; may include rhyming or puns

Question 20

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Echolalia

Answer 20

the persistent echoing or repetition of words or phrases said by others

Question 21

Disturbances in Thought Processes: Verbigeration

Answer 21

the meaningless repetition of incoherent words or sentences; typically associated with psychotic states and cognitive impairment