Psychiatry Flashcards
How long must symptoms last before you can make a diagnosis of dementia?
6 months
What are the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease?
Amnesia, Apraxia, Agnosia, Aphasia
What type of amnesia is experienced in Alzheimer’s?
Short term memory loss
Define Apraxia, Agnosia
Apraxia: Difficulty with motor planning e.g. putting on clothes
Agnosia: inability to interpret sensations and recognise things
What are some non-cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease?
Psychosis, depression, wandering
What class of drug is used to treat Alzheimer’s Disease?
Acetyl Cholinesterase Inhibitors
Name 2 Acetyl Cholinesterase Inhibitors. What condition do they treat?
Donepezil and Rivastigmine for Alzheimer’s
What causes Vascular Dementia?
Multiple strokes or ischaemic change
What characterises Pick’s disease? (Fronto-temporal Lobe dementia)
Personality change
What is the age of onset of Pick’s disease (Frontotemporal Lobe Dementia)
Young; age 50-60
There is no licensed treatment
Name the triad of symptoms that occur with Lewy Body Dementia
- Fluctuating cognitive impairment
- Visual Hallucinations
- Parkinsonism (also accept REM sleep disturbance)
What drug may be used to curb aggression in Parkinson’s patients?
Risperidone (antipsychotic)
What drugs may be used to treat Lewy Body dementia? (Class and example)
Acetyl Cholinesterase Inhibitors e.g. Rivastigmine
What is a limitation of the MMSE?
It cannot test the frontal lobe
Name 2 tests used in dementia diagnosis/screening.
- Adenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination
2. Montreal Cognitive Assessment
What physical tests need to be done if you suspect dementia?
FBC - to rule out reversible causes
Blood glucose
CT head
What is the recommended alcohol limit?
14 units a week (+2 alcohol free days)
What are contraindications to home detox?
- Previous failed home detox
- Unsupportive home environment
- Previous delirium tremens
What are the 4 questions of the CAGE questionnaire?
c - have you felt like you should cut down on your drinking?
a - do you ever get annoyed when people comment on the amount you drink?
g - do you ever feel guilty about the amount you drink?
e - do you ever have a drink as soon as you wake up?
Describe the features of dependence syndrome.
- A strong DESIRE to take the substance
- Difficulty in CONTROL over substance taking
- Biological WITHDRAWAL symptoms
- TOLERANCE
- NEGLECTING other pleasures
- PERSISTING in use despite harmful consequences
Describe the features of Delirium Tremens
High fever
Lilliputian hallucinations
Grand mal seizures
What medication may be used to treat withdrawal symptoms during a detox?
Chlordiazepoxide
When is chlordiazepoxide indicated?
> 20 units of alcohol a day
What drug is given to treat Vitamin B1 deficiency?
Thiamine (a.k.a. Vitamin B1!)
What is the triad of symptoms in Wernicke’s Encephalopathy?
Confusion
Ataxia
Opthalmoplegia - paralysis of the eye muscles
What may happen if someone has prolonged thiamine deficiency?
Wernicke’s Encephalopathy (which leads to Korsakoff’s syndrome)
What drug is used in an acute opioid overdose?
Naloxone
How does Naloxone work?
Competitively inhibits opioid receptors
Define tolerance
when continued use of a drug no longer gives averse reaction OR diminished response to a drug after continued use
Define withdrawal
the symptoms which occur after abruptly stopping an addictive substance
What is chlordiazepoxide?
Long acting benzodiazipine
What drug may be given to reduce alcohol cravings?
Acamprostate calcium, naltrexone
Name a drug that induces sickness when alcohol is drunk
Disulfiram
Name 3 positive symptoms of Schizophrenia
Delusions, hallucinations, catatonic behaviour
Name 3 negative symptoms of Schizophrenia
Anhedonia, flat effect, “alogia” poverty of speech
What are Schneider’s First rank symptoms? Name 3.
Thought Broadcast 3rd person auditory hallucinations Physical hallucination Thought withdrawal/insertion Delusional perception
What is the most common type of schizophrenia? What characterises it
Paranoid - delusions and hallucination
What characterises hebephrenic schizophrenia?
Negatice symptoms e.g. flat affect, disorganised speech and behaviours, childlike, inappropriate emotion e.g. laughter
What is Schizoaffective disorder?
Hallucinations and delusions associated with a mood disorder
What is one mechanism of antipsychotic medication?
D2 receptor blocker
Give an example of a D2 receptor blocker
Clozapine
What is the main drug treatment for Schizoaffective disorder?
Haloperidol
What are 4 symptoms of a manic episode?
- Delusions of grandeur
- Pressure of speech
- Racing thoughts
- Poor decision making
How long must episodes of depression and mania last to make a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder?
Depression >2 weeks
Mania >1 week
What is distinctive about Bipolar Type 2?
Hypomania episodes last at least 4 days
Name and describe the 3rd type of bipolar disorder.
Cyclothymia; milder mood changes, cycling over 2 years
Name a MOOD STABILISER used in the treatment of Bipolar
Lithium
Name an ANTI-PSYCHOTIC used in the treatment of bipolar disorder
Risperidone
Name an ANTI-CONVULSANT used in the treatment of bipolar disorder
Sodium Valporate, Lamotrigine
What are risk factors for postpartum depression?
Young maternal age
Previous history of depression
Complications during delivery
Name an SSRI contraindicated in pregnancy
paroxetine
Name 2 mood stabilisers
lithium
valporate
What is the safest mood stabiliser in pregnancy?
Lamotrigine
What is the 1st line treatment for panic disorder?
SSRI + Benzodiazipine
How long must symptoms last before a PTSD diagnosis can be made?
1 month
Name the 4 symptoms of PTSD
- Flashbacks
- Avoidance
- Mood disturbance
- Hyperarousal
What axis, which may be disturbed in PTSD, is responsible for stress response?
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Access
What 2 drugs are licensed for PTSD?
Sertraline and paroxetine
What is necessary for a diagnosis of GAD?
Anxiety most of the time for 6 months + 4 physical symptoms