Psych Flashcards
What is the most common cause of psychosis?
Schizophrenia
What is psychosis?
Delusions, hallucinations and/or a thought disorder without insight
What is schizophrenia?
Common chronic relapsing condition often presenting in early adulthood with psychotic symptoms, disorganisation symptoms, negative symptoms and sometimes cognitive impairment.
Risk factors for schizophrenia?
- FH (if both parents have it, child has 50% chance)
- Premature birth
- Abnormal development
- Social isolation/migrant
- Illicit drugs (cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines)
- More common in temporal lobe epilepsy and huntingtons
3 phases of schizophrenia?
1) Prodrome: Withdrawn, anxious, suspicious, irritable
2) Active: sx like delusions and hallucinations
3) Residual: Cognitive symptoms
Criteria for diagnosis of schizophrenia?
1 first rank sx or 2 or more secondary symptoms.
What are schneiders first rank symptoms?
1) Auditory hallucinations
- 3rd person
- Running commentary
- Thought echo
2) Passivity phenomena
- Somatic passivity
- Thought withdrawal, insertion and broadcast
- Passivity of affect
3) Delusional perception
What are the secondary symptoms?
- 2nd person auditory hallucinations
- Other sensory hallucinations
- Thought disorder
- Catatonic behaviour
- Negative symptoms
- Delusions
What are positive symptoms?
Add to normal experience. eg. hallucinations, delusions, passivity phenomena, thought alienation, change in mood (lack of insight)
What are negative symptoms?
Take away from normal experience eg blunting of affect, amotivation, poverty of speech/thought, reduced verbal/non-verbal communications.
Classic MSE in schizophrenia?
A: Withdrawn, suspicious S: Thought blocking, loosening of association E: Flattened/incongrous/odd mood P: Delusions T: Thought control and passivity I: No insight C: Cognition subtly different
Investigations in schizophrenia?
- Bloods: LFTs, FBC,
- Serology for syphilis
- Urine toxicology
- Brain imaging and EEG
Types of schizophrenia?
- Paranoid schizophrenia: Paronoid delusions, auditory hallucinations, perceptual disturbances
- Catatonic schizophrenia: Hyperkinesis or negativism
- Hebephrenic schizophrenia: Fluctuating affect
- Residual schizophrenia: Long term negative symptoms
- Simple schizophrenia: Negative sx without psychotic symptoms
Management of schizophrenia?
First line: Risperidone or olanzapine
Second line: Clozapine
Common s/e of antipsychotics?
- Hyperprolactinaemia
- Sexual dysfunction
- Weight gain
- DM
- CV effects
- Drowsiness
What is Schizoaffective disorder?
When a patient experiences both symptoms of a mood disorder (mania or depression) and schizophrenia at the same time (within days) and of the same intensity without another medical disorder or substance misuse cause.
Treatment is with antipsychotic and mood stabiliser to manage both condition.
What are the affective mood disorders?
- Depression
- Bipolar
- Cyclothymia
What is depression?
Pervasive lowering of mood associated with biological and psychosocial symptoms
Risk factors for depression?
- Chronic illness (RA, IBD, cancer, parkinsons)
- Divorce
- Unemployed
- Lack of confiding relationship
- Low self esteem
- Poor social support
- Low social class
- Comorbidity w/ other psych problems eg substance misuse, anxiety disorders
How is depression diagnosed?
At least 2 core symptoms AND 3/4 other symptoms.
The core symptoms of depression are?
- Low mood
- Loss of energy (inergia)
- Loss of pleasure (anhedonia)
Other symptoms of depression?
Biological: - Change in sleep - Change in appetite - Change in libido Psychological: - Loss of confidence - Loss of concentration - Guilt and hopelessness - Suicidal ideation - Diurnal mood variation - Agitation
What is the mneumonic to remember depression symptoms?
D Depressed mood E Energy levels reduced A Anhedonia D Disturbed sleep S Suicidal ideation W Worthlessness A Appetite reduced M Mentation decreased (concentration) P Psychomotor retardation
How is depression classified?
Mild: 2 core sx + 2 other
Moderate: 2 core sx + 3 other
Severe: 3 core sx + 4 other
Severe w/ psychotic sx: Mood congruent, nihilistic, guilty, delusions, hallucinations and stupor.
Typical MSE of depressed patient?
Appearance: Signs of neglect eg. unkempt, w loss
Behaviour: Poor eye contact, down cast eyes, tearful
Speech: Slow, non-spontaneous, quiet
Mood: Low. suicidal ideation
Thought: Pessimistic, guilt, worthlessness, nihilistic delusions
Perception: 2nd person auditory hallucinations (often derogatory)
Cognition: Poor concentration
Insight: Usually good
Investiagations to rule out a medical cause of depression?
Bloods: TFT, LFT, FBC, U+E, calcium, glucose
Management of depression?
1) Low intensity psychosocial intervention eg CBT
2) Antidepressant:
a) SSRI: Sertraline, citalopram, fluoexetine
b) TCA: Lofepramine
3) High intensity psychsocial intervention
What is serotonin syndrome?
Serotonin toxicity from serotenergic agents. Consequence of excessive stimulation of the CNS and peripheral serotonin receptors.
Leads to rhabdomyolysis > coma > death.
Sx of Serotonin syndrome?
Fever (autonomic hyperactivity)
Agitation (altered mental state)
Tremor, Hyperreflexia, Clonus (neuromuscular excitation)
What is bipolar affective disorder?
Two or more episodes in which the patients mood and activity levels are significantly disturbed
What is bipolar 1?
One or more manic episodes with or without a history of depressive episodes (mania and depression)
What is bipolar 2?
One or more depressive episodes with at least one hypomanic episode. Often diagnosed as recurrent depression, creating tx issues.
What is hypomania?
Not full mania. Has no psychotic symptoms and less dysfunction.
What are the sx of hypomania?
- 4+ days
- Elevated mood
- Increased energy
- Increased talkativeness
- Poor concentration
- Mild reckless behaviour eg. overspeeding
- Increased libido / sexual disinhibition
- Decreased sleep
- WITHOUT PSYCHOTIC SYMPTOMS
What are the sx of mania?
- > 7 days
- Extreme elation (uncontrollable)
- Overactivity
- Pressure of speech
- Impaired judgement
- Extreme risk behaviour
- Inflated self esteem
- Flight of ideas
- With psychotic symptoms
Classic MSE of bipolar patient?
Appearance: Dressed inappropirately/bright/outlandish. Neglect personal hygeine
Behaviour: Overfamiliar. Flirtatious. Increased psychomotor activity. Restless
Speech: Loud, uninterruptable, flight of ideas, pressure of speech, puns/rhyme
Mood: Elated, but can quickly turn to irritability and anger
Thought: grandiose or persecutory delusions
Perception: Auditory hallucinations, often mood congruent
Cognition: Attention and concentration often impaired
Insight: Poor
Investigations for bipolar disorder?
Exclude other causes for manic episode: Substance misuse, SoL, hyperthyroidism, corticosteroids, anabolic adrenergic steroids.
Bloods: FBC, U+E, LFT, calcium, TFTS, glucose
Urine drug screen
Management of bipolar disorder?
Non-pharmacological: - Education support groups - CBT Pharmacological: - Lithium: Prevents relapse, used as prohylaxis and acute - Sodium valproate - Olanzapine Rapid tranquilisation -> Benzodiazapine
Why does Lithium need monitoring?
Must be within 0.5-1mmol/L. If over 1.5 you get lithium toxicity. - Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea - Confusion - Excessive sleeping - Seizures - Tremors Management: - STOP lithium - Rehydrate - Haemodialysis
Lithium is teratogenic.
Causes of bipolar affective disorder/
Medication: Steroids, illicit drug (amphet, cocaine), antidepressants
Physical: Infection, stroke, neoplasm, epilepsy, MS, hyperthyroid and other metabolic disturbances.
What is catatonia?
Increased resting muscle tone which is not present on active or passive movement.
> a motor symptom of schizophrenia (contrasts rigidity assoc with Parkinson’s + EPSE)
What are the characteristic signs of catatonia?
Mutism Posturing Negativism Staring Rigidity Echopraxia/echolalia
What are the typical forms of catatonia?
Stuporous/retarded
Excited/delirious
What are the common causes of catatonia?
General medical disorder
- metabolic disturbances
- drug-related
- endocrine disorders
- autoimmune disorder
- heat stroke
- typhoid fever
- viral infections (HIV)
Neurological disorders
- general paresis
- lesions of thalamus or parietal lobes
- frontal lobe disease
- bilateral globus pallidus disease
- seizures
- parkinsonism
- post encephalitic states
Mood disorder
- most commonly mania
DD of catatonia
Elective mutism: usually assoc with pre-existing personality disorder and clear stressor
Stroke: mutism assoc with focal neurological signs (locked-in syndrome)
Stiff-person syndrome: painful spasms brought on by touch/noise/emotional stimuli
Malignant hyperthermia: post anaesthetic + muscle relaxant in predisposed individuals
Akinetic parkinsonism
What are the catatonia-like subtypes?
- malignant catatonia
- neuroleptic malignant syndrome
- serotonin syndrome
How do you treat catatonia?
Give benzodiazepines
How is CAMHS different to adult psych?
Less pharmacological treatment
Wider range of therapies (esp creative ones)
More emphasis on involving family + school
Questions to ask in a developmental history:
Pre + post-natal
- pregnancy: was mum okay or ill
- birth: normal or traumatic
- milestones: e.g. smiling at 6 weeks
- what kind of baby? easy, cuddly, anxious?
- who was looking after them? parent have mental illness?
Questions to ask in a developmental history:
Toddler
- who was main care?
- did carer’s change? when did mum go to work?
- how did they find separating?
- what was language development like?
- was there any ‘obsessive’ special interest?
Questions to ask in a developmental history:
School years
- what was it like separating from parent?
- friends + bullying
- academic achievement
- how was it moving up to secondary school?
- how did they cope with changes?
- were there important life events?
- what was home environment like?
Questions to ask in a developmental history:
Teenage years
- what was socialising like?
- drugs and alcohol use
- how were boundaries implemented a home?
- any risky behaviour?
- changes in academic level
What is childhood physical abuse significantly assoc with?
- 15% increase in medical diagnosis
- increased risk of heart disease in women
- increased risk of cancer in both men and women
- increased risk of COPD
What is the attachment theory?
An infant needs to develop a relationship with at least 1 primary caregiver for the child’s successful social and emotional development, and in particular for learning how to effectively regulate their feelings.
0-3months: indiscriminate attachment
3-6months: preference for main caregivers
6-12 months: only main caregiver
12-24 months: increasingly able to separate from main caregiver
What is OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- an anxiety disorder which the patient suffers from time-consuming obsessions and compulsions that interfere with normal every day life.
What are RF for OCD?
- genetics (35% of 1st degree relatives have it)
- serotonin dysfunction
- frontal cortex + basal ganglia abnormalities
- anankastic premorbid personality traits (70%)
- 15% of patients have schizophrenia
- 30% of patients have comorbid depression
- Tourette’s syndrome
How is OCD diagnosed?
Obsession and compulsion present on most days for 2 weeks, and not accounted for by the presence of another mental illness.
Features:
- acknowledged as originating in the mind
- persistent, repetitive and intrusive
- patient tries to resist them
- not intrinsically pleasurable
- cause distress and interfere with functioning
What are obsessions?
Unwanted, persistent, intrusive thoughts, images, doubts or impulses which reoccur in the mind. Common content: - contamination - bodily fears (?) - aggression - orderliness/symmetry
What are compulsions?
Repetitive, stereotyped acts of behaviour/mental acts that are recognised as excessive, unreasonable or exaggerated. If resisted they cause tension leading to compulsion. Commonly involve: - cleaning - checking (doors locked) - counting - hoarding - repeating a phrase
What do you find O/E for an OCD pt?
- poor concentration if distracted by unwanted thoughts
- increasing anxiety if prevented from yielding compulsions
- patient recognises thoughts are their own + excessive
Mx for OCD?
1st line: psych intervention e.g. CBT, ERP (exposure response prevention)
2nd line: SSRI
3rd line: antipsychotic
What is personality?
The combination of characteristics/qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character.
What is a personality disorder?
A severe disturbance in the characterological condition and behavioural tendencies of the individual, usually involving several areas of the personality and nearly always associated with considerable personal and social disruption.
What maladaptations may manifest in personality disorders?
- cognition
- affectivity
- control over impulses and gratification of needs
- manner of relating to others
- handling of interpersonal situations
- manner of handling stress
What are the different clusters that you can split personality disorders into?
Cluster A: weird, odd + eccentric (more likely to have schizophrenia)
1) paranoid (accusatory)
2) schizoid (aloof)
3) schizotypal (awkward)
Cluster B: wild, dramatic, emotional + erratic (genetic relationship with mood disorders + subtonic abuse disorders)
1) Antisocial/dissocial
2) Borderline/Emotionally unstable
3) Histrionic
4) Narcissistic
Cluster C: worried, anxious, fearful (link with anxiety disorders)
1) Avoidant (cowardly)
2) Obsessive-compulsive (compulsive)
3) Dependent (clingy)
Describe borderline personality disorder / emotionally unstable
Cluster B
- unstable moods (intense joy to rage)
- relationship issues
- impulsive + unpredictable
- self-harm
Describe histrionic PD
Cluster B
- over-dramatic events, attention-seeking
- excessive emotionality
- superficial relationships, views as shallow, egocentric
Describe narcissistic PD
Cluster B
- grandiose self-image
- dreams of unlimited success, power + intellectual brilliance
- craves attention
- lack empathy
Describe narcissistic PD
Cluster B
- grandiose self-image
- dreams of unlimited success, power + intellectual brilliance
- craves attention
- lack empathy
Describe avoidant PD
Cluster C - cowardly
(aka anxious personality disorder)
- very anxious + tense (worry a lot)
- feel insecure + inferior
- extremely sensitive to criticism; have to be liked
- timid, shy, socially inhibited
- exaggerate potential dangers + risks = avoid everyday activities
Describe obsessive-compulsive PD
Cluster C - compulsive
(aka anankastic PD)
- perfectionist: rigid routines, cautious, detail
- worry about doing wrong thing
- find it hard to adapt to new situations
- high moral standards
Different from OCD because this is ego-syntonic (patient is happy with how they are) but in OCD, the patient wants to stop (ego-dystonic)
Describe dependent PD
Cluster C- clingy
- intense fear of separation + Rejection (cling to relationships)
- lack self-confidence
- difficulty making simple decisions (e.g. what to eat)
- excessive reliance on others
Describe dependent PD
Cluster C- clingy
- intense fear of separation + Rejection (cling to relationships)
- lack self-confidence
- difficulty making simple decisions (e.g. what to eat)
- excessive reliance on others
Risk factors for personality disorders
Upbringing:
- physical or sexual abuse in childhood
- violence in family
- alcoholic parents
Childhood problems:
- severe aggression
- disobedience
- repeated temper tantrums
Brain problems
Triggers
How do you Ix personality disorders?
- collateral, thorough Hx
- MRI
- Psychometric assessment (Eg. million clinical multiraxial inventory)
What are some psychosocial management options for PD?
DBT: dialectal behavioural theory MBT: mensualisation based therapy CBT Schema focused therapy Transference focused therapy Dynamic psychotherapy Cognitive analytical therapy Tx in a therapeutic community
Medication for PD?
Low-dose antipsychotics
Antidepressants for unstable pD
Carbamazepine for episodic behavioural dyscontrol and aggression
Medication for PD?
Low-dose antipsychotics
Antidepressants for unstable PD
Carbamazepine for episodic behavioural dyscontrol and aggression
What is anorexia nervosa?
Marked distortion of body image, pathologically low-weight, and weight-loss behaviours/
Who is often affected by anorexia nervosa?
- women
- mean age of onset: 16-17 yrs (rare>30)
- upper/middle class
What can cause anorexia nervosa?
- genetics
- adverse life events (childhood trauma)
- psychodynamic: family pathology (over protective, weak boundaries), indin (disturbed body image due to dietary issues in early life)
- biological (hypothalamic dysfunction, neuropsychological deficits, personality trait, high achievers, psuedo atrophy or unilateral temporal lobe hypo perfusion)
DD of anorexia nervosa
- chronic debilitating physical disease
- brain tumours
- GI disorders (crohns, malabsoprtion syndrome)
- loss of appetite (secondary to drugs like SSRI)
- depression/OCD
What is the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa?
1) Low body weight (15%+ below expected, BMI<17.5)
2) Self-induced weight loss
- avoidance of fatty foods
- vomiting/purging
- excessive exercise
- using appetite supresion
3) Body image distortion
- ‘dread of fattness’
- overevaulated idea
- imposed low weight threshold
4) Endocrine disorders
- amenorrhoea
- decreased sexual interest/impotence
- increased GH levels
- increased cortisol
- altered TFTs
- abnormal insulin secretion
5) Delayed/arrested puberty (if onset pre-pubertal)
What are some psych sx of anorexia nervosa?
Irritability Conc/memory/decision-making problems Low self-estee Depression Loss of appetite Obsessiveness regarding food Loss of libido Insomnia Social withdrawal Reduced energy
What are some systemic sx of anorexia nervosa?
Amenorrhoea Cold hands and feet Weight loss Dry skin Lethargy Dizziness/fainting Headaches Hair loss Constipation
What is bulimia nervosa?
Recurrent episodes of binge eating, with compensatory behaviours and over-valued ideas about ‘ideal’ body shape + weight
- often past hx of anorexia nervosa
- body weight may be normal
Aetiology of bulimia nervosa?
similar to anorexia but also:
- personal/family hx of obesity
- fam hx of affective disorder
- fam hx of substance misuse
- dysregulation of eating, related to serotnergic mechanism
What is the diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa?
- persistent preoccupation with eating
- irresistible craving for food
- binges (episodes of overeating)
- attempts to counter ‘fattening’ effects of food (self-induced vomiting, starvation)
- morbid dread of fatness, with imposed ‘low-weight threshold’
What are some specific problems due to ‘purging’?
Cardiac failure (sudden death) Arrhythmias Electrolyte disturbance (Decreased K+, Na+ and Cl-) --> met acidosis (laxatives) // met alkalosis (vomiting) Leucopaenia/lymphocytosis Dental erosion Constipation/steatorrhea Pancreatitis Gastric/duodenal ulcers Oesophageal/gastric perforation Oesophageal erosions
What are some specific problems due to ‘purging’?
Cardiac failure (sudden death) Arrhythmias Electrolyte disturbance (Decreased K+, Na+ and Cl-) --> met acidosis (laxatives) // met alkalosis (vomiting) Leucopaenia/lymphocytosis Dental erosion Constipation/steatorrhea Pancreatitis Gastric/duodenal ulcers Oesophageal/gastric perforation Oesophageal erosions
DD of bulimia nervosa
Upper GI disorders (assoc with vomiting) Brain tumours Personality disorder Depressive disorder OCD Drug-related increased appetite Menstrual-related syndromes
What comorbidites often accompany bulimia?
Anxiety/mood disorder Multiple dyscontrol behaviour - cutting/buring - overdose - alcohol/drug misuse - promiscuity - other impulse disorders
Tx for bulimia
Usually manages as an outpatient unless: suicidal, physical problems, extreme refectory cases, pregnant (increased risk of spontaneous abortion)
Meds: SSRI (fluoxetine 60mg)
Psych: CBT, IPT, guided self-help
What screening tool is used for eating disorders?
SCOFF (>2 answered yes = detailed Hx before referral)
S: do you make yourself sick because you feel uncomfortably full?
C: do you worry you have lost control over how much you eat?
O: have you recently lost >1 stone in a 3-month period?
F: do you believe yourself to be fat when others say you are too thin?
F: would you say that food dominates your life?
What are neuroses?
A relatively mild mental illness that is not caused by organic disease, involving symptoms of stress but not a radical loss of touch with reality.
Define generalised anxiety disorder?
Anxiety that is generalised and persistent but not restricted to, or even strongly predominating in, any particular environmental circumstances.
RF for GAD?
- female
- 35-54 years
- divorced
- living alone
- genetic predisposition
- current stress
- life events
Sx of GAD?
Excessive anxiety + worrying (apprehensive expectation) for most days for >/6months about wide range of events (work or school performance) Difficult to control worry. 3 or more of: - restlessness - on edge - easily fatigued - muscle tension - difficulty concentrating - mind block - irritability - sleep disturbance
What is found O/E of GAD?
What Ix should you do?
Tachycardia
Tachypnoea
Ix: FBC, U+E, LFTs, Ca, TFTs
How do you mange GAD?
1) educate/monitor
2) low-intensity psychological therapy (guided self-help)
3) CBT or drugs
- SRRI: escitalopram or paroxetine
- SNRI: venlafaxine
What is a panic disorder?
Recurrent attacks of severe anxiety which are not restricted to any particular situation or set of circumstances and are therefore unpredictable.
Due to GABA receptor dysfunction.