MH Flashcards
What is bipolar disorder?
chronic mental health disorder characterised by periods of mania/hypomania alongside episodes of depression
What are the two types of bipolar disorder?
type I disorder: mania and depression (most common)
type II disorder: hypomania and depression
What is mania?
there is severe functional impairment or psychotic symptoms for 7 days or more
What is hypomania?
describes decreased or increased function for 4 days or more
Treatment of bipolar?
Psychological interventions
Mood stabiliser - lithium. Valproate is an alternative
Management of mania/hypomania - stopping antidepressant if take one, antipsychotic therapy (e.g., olanzapine or haloperidol)
Management of depression - talking therapies, fluoxetine is antidepressant of choice
Co-morbidities associated with bipolar?
2-3 times increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and COPD
Primary care referral of bipolar?
if symptoms suggest hypomania then NICE recommend routine referral to the community mental health team (CMHT)
if there are features of mania or severe depression then an urgent referral to the CMHT should be made
When to use ECT in bipolar patient?
1st line Tx if severe/ life threatening manic episode.
What is lithium toxicity?
Lithium has narrow therapeutic range (0.4-1.0 mol/L) and a long plasma half-life being excreted primarily from the kidneys
Lithium toxicity generally occurs following concentration >1.5 mol/L
What can precipitate lithium toxicity?
dehydration
renal failure
drugs - diuretics (esp thiazides), ACEi/ARBs, NSAIDs and metronidazole
Features of lithium toxicity?
coarse tremor (a fine tremor is seen in therapeutic levels) hyperreflexia acute confusion polyuria seizure coma
Management of lithium toxicity?
mild-moderate toxicity may respond to volume resuscitation with normal saline
haemodialysis may be needed in severe toxicity
sodium bicarbonate is sometimes used but there is limited evidence to support this. By increasing the alkalinity of the urine it promotes lithium excretion
What is schizophrenia?
Is the most common psychotic disorder. Requires symptoms to be present most of the time for 1 month of more.
ICD-10 for schizophrenia
The diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia (using the International Classification of Diseases-10 [ICD-10] criteria) require the following symptoms to be present most of the time for 1 month or more:
One or more of the following features:
Hallucinatory voices giving a running commentary on the person’s behaviour, or discussing the person among themselves, or other types of hallucinatory voices coming from some part of the body.
Thought echo, thought insertion or withdrawal, and thought broadcasting.
Delusions of control, influence, or passivity, clearly referred to body or limb movements or specific thoughts, actions, or sensations.
Persistent delusions of other kinds that are culturally inappropriate and completely impossible, such as religious or political identity, or superhuman powers and abilities (for example being able to control the weather, or being in communication with aliens from another world).
Or any two of the following criteria:
Persistent hallucinations in any form, when accompanied by fleeting or half-formed delusions without clear affective content, or by persistent over-valued ideas (similar to preoccupations), or when occurring every day for weeks or months on end.
Breaks or interpolations in the train of thought, resulting in incoherence or irrelevant speech, or neologisms (invented words).
Catatonic behaviour, such as excitement, posturing, or waxy flexibility; negativism; mutism; and stupor.
Negative symptoms, such as marked apathy, reduced speech, and blunting or incongruity of emotional responses, usually resulting in social withdrawal and lowering of social performance; it must be clear that these are not due to depression or to antipsychotic medication.
A significant and consistent change in the overall quality of some aspects of personal behaviour, manifest as loss of interest, aimlessness, idleness, a self-absorbed attitude, and social withdrawal.
Risk factors for schizophrenia?
Family history is strongest Black Caribbean ethnicity Migration Urban environment Cannabis use
First rank Sx of schizophrenia
Auditory hallucinations - third person discussing pt., thought echo, voices common on pt’s behaviour
Thought disorder - insertion, withdraw, broadcasting
Passivity phenomena - bodily sensations controlled by external influence, actions/impulses/feelings imposed on individual
Delusional perceptions - normal object perceived, then sudden intense delusional insight into the objects meaning for the pt. (e.g., traffic light is green therefore I am the King)
Epidemiology of Schizophrenia
Peak early 20s
M>F
Pathophysiology of schizophrenia?
Pos Sx: XS dopamine in mesolimbic tracts
Neg Sx: ↓dopamine in mesocoritcal tracts.
Catatonic Sx of schizophrenia?
psychomotor disturbance, stupor (immobile, mute, unresponsive, but eyes open + follow people), excitement (periods of extreme + purposeless motor activity), posturing (assume + maintain bizarre positions), rigidity (rigid posture against efforts to be moved), waxy flexibility (minimal resistance to being placed in odd positions, which are maintained for lengthy periods), automatic obedience to any instructions.
Seven subtypes of schizophrenia?
Paranoid schizophrenia - most common, delusions + hallucinations
Catatonic schizophrenia - psychomotor disturbance
Postschizophrenic depression
Simple schizophrenia
Hebephrenic schizophrenia - age 15-25, delusions/hallucinations not prominent, disorganised/chaotic mood, shallow/inappropriate affect
Undifferentiated schizophrenia
Residual schizophrenia - prominent neg Sx that remain after delusions + hallucinations subside
Features of Schizophrenia?
Prodromal: socially withdrawn, blunted affect, loss of interest.
Active: severe pos/neg Sx
Residual: cog Sx, periods of remission, eccentric behav, emotional blunting, illogical thinking or social withdrawal.
Positive Sx in schizophrenia
New feature, no physiological counterpart
Delusions: fixed false beliefs even if opposing evidence Control (something outside controlling), reference (insig remarks directed at them, news speaking to them)
Hallucinations: perceptions w/o sensory stimuli. Auditory 3rd person/ voices comment on behav. Visual. Tactile.
Disorganised speech: word salad (disconnected, nonsensical)
Disorganised behav: bizarre, no purpose, eg multiple layers on hot day. Catatonic eg resistant movement/ unresponsive
Thought insertion, withdrawal broadcast
Disorganised thoughts
Neologisms
Negative Sx of schizophrenia
Flatt affect Alogia: poverty of speech, lack content Avolition: ↓motivation Apathy, anhedonia ↓in self care, social withdrawal
Management of schizophrenia
CBT, family therapy Psychodynamic therapy Typical antipsychotics Atypical antipsychotics - first line Pay close attention to CVD risk factor modification due to high rates of CVD in schizophrenic patients - due to antipsychotic medication and high smoking rates