Psychiatric H&P Flashcards
Perception abnormalities
Hallucinations & illusions
Define hallucinations
Sensory perceptions generated within the CNS in ABSENCE of external stimuli
Define formication
Sensation of insects crawling under skin
Visual hallucinations are prominent in which cognitive psychoses? (3)
- Delerium tremens
- Psychedelic drug use
- Schizophrenia
What do disoriented pts usually do?
Try to hide mistakes w/ confabulation
Abstract thinking relies on what?
- Culture
- Intelligence
- Education
Define Memory loss
Organic brain disease or injury
Define Retrograde amnesia
Inability to remember events prior to injury or disease
Define Anterograde amnesia
Inability to form new memories
Which body fxns preserve health & energy?
- Sleep
- Appetite & weight
- Energy level
- Daily mood variation
- Sexual interest
GAD: “Worry WARTS” Mnemonic
- Wound up
- Worn out
- Absentminded
- Restless
- Touchy
- Sleepless
GAD: “Watchers” Mnemonic
- Worry
- Anxiety
- Tension in muscles
- Concentration difficulties
- Hyperarousal
- Energy loss
- Restlessness
- Sleep disturbance
Depressive disorder: “SIG E CAPS” Mnemonic
- Sleep
- Interest
- Guilt
- Energy
- Concentration
- Appetite/weight
- Psychomotor
- Suicidal ideations
Depressive disorder: “DIGFAST” Mnemonic
- Distractibility
- Insomnia
- Grandiosity
- Flight of ideas
- Agitation
- Activities
- Sexual exploits
- Talkative
What makes up a mental status exam?
- General appearance
- Psychomotor behavior
- Mood & affect
- Speech
- Cognition
- Thought patterns
- Level of consciousness
What are 2 subcategories of thinking/perception?
- Thought form
- Thought content
Define thought form
Flow of thought
Thought form defects
- Association
2. Rate & rhythm
Define circumstantiality
Overinclusion of trivial or irrelevant details impede sense of getting to point
Define clang association
Thoughts associated by the sound of words rather than their meaning through rhyming or assonance
Define derailment
Breakdown in the connection btwn ideas & the overall sense of goal-directedness.
- The words make sense, but the sentences don’t make sense
Define flight of ideas. How is it expressed?
Succession of multiple associations, so that thought seems to move abruptly from idea to idea
- Often expressed through rapid speech
Define neologisms
Invention of new words or phrases or use of conventional phrases in idosyncratic ways
Define perseveration
Repetition, out of context, of words, phrases or ideas
Define tangentiality
In response to a question, the pt gives a reply that is appropriate to the general topic w/out actually answering the question
Define thought blocking
Sudden disruption of thought or break in the flow of ideas
How do you arrive at a dx?
Gather info, PE, & review previous health records
