psych Flashcards
DIffuse lewy body dementia
Diffuse Lewy body disease is characterised by fluctuating cognitive impairment, visual hallucinations and parkinsonism.
The patients are very sensitive to neuroleptics which therefore should be avoided.
The treatment of choice is rivastigmine, which improves both the visual hallucinations, and cognitive impairment.1
cyclothymic disorder
A cyclothymic disorder is characterised by the presence of numerous periods of both depression (but not major depressive episodes) and hypomania for at least two years.
Bipolar 1 disorder
Bipolar I disorder is characterised by severe alterations in mood (mania and depression) that are usually episodic and recurrent.
major depressive disorder
The crucial feature of a major depressive disorder is a severe dysphoric mood and persistent loss of interest or pleasure in all usual activities.
Bipolar II disorder
Bipolar II disorder is characterised by one or more major depressive episodes ), at least one hypomanic episode and no manic episodes.
Dysthymic disorder
dysthymic disorder, the patient’s mood is chronic depression with never a manic or hypomanic episode, for at least two years.
Mixed state
Mixed state refers to the presence of both depressive and mood elevated (manic or hypomanic) symptoms simultaneously. It may thus occur with bipolar I or bipolar II disorder.
cotard syndrome
Cotard syndrome is a nihilistic delusion seen in severely depressed people where they believe that they, or a part of their body is dead.
Fregoli syndrome
Fregoli syndrome, the patient believes that an individual (who is almost always a persecutory figure and someone close to them) has taken on many different guises. This syndrome is named after an artist called Leopoldo Fregoli renowned for his ability to change costumes very quickly. A person with Fregoli syndrome will identify several different strangers as being the persecutor in disguise.
