Psychiatry Flashcards
WHAT IS DELERIUM?
- Abrupt change in the brain that causes mental confusion and emotional disruption.
- It makes it difficult to think, remember, sleep, pay attention, and more.
What are the different types of delerium?
Delirium tremens
Severe form of the condition experienced by people who are trying to stop drinking
Hyperactive delirium
Characterized by being highly alert and uncooperative
Hypoactive delirium
More common. With this type, you tend to sleep more and become inattentive and disorganized with daily tasks. You might miss meals or appointments
Mixed delerium
Switch between hyperactive and hypoactive states
What is the cause of delerium?
When the normal signals entering exiting the brain become impaired
Certain causes include:
- Certain medications or drug toxicity
- Alcohol or drug intoxication or withdrawal
- A medical condition, such as a stroke, heart attack, worsening lung or liver disease, or an injury from a fall
- Metabolic imbalances, such as low sodium or low calcium
- Fever and acute infection, particularly in children
- Urinary tract infection, pneumonia or the flu, especially in older adults
- Exposure to a toxin, such as carbon monoxide, cyanide or other poisons
- Malnutrition or dehydration
- Sleep deprivation or severe emotional distress
How do you diagnose delerium?
Confusion Assessment Method (CAM)
-
Acute onset and fluctuating course
Is there evidence of an acute change in mental status from the patient’s baseline? Did this behaviour fluctuate during the past day -
Inattention
Does the patient have difficulty focusing attention; for example, being easily distracted or having difficulty keeping track -
Disorganized thinking
Is the patient’s speech disorganized or incoherent; for example, rambling or irrelevant conversation, unclear or illogical flow -
Altered level of consciousness
Overall, how would you rate this patient’s level of consciousness: alert (normal); vigilant (hyperalert); lethargic (drowsy, easily aroused); stupor (difficult to arouse); coma (unarousable)?
What are the symptoms of delerium?
Cognitive impairment
Reduced awareness of the environment
Emotional disturbances
Behaviour changes
What is the investigations for delerium?
Mental status assessment
Confusion assessment method
Physical and neurological examinations
Biochemical tests
Head scans - focal deficits, seizure
Drug and alcohol tests
Thyroid and glucose tests
Liver tests
Chest X-ray
Urine tests
What is the treatment for delirum?
Treat the undelying cause
Promote good sleeping habits
Healthy environment/secure environment
May prescribe some of the following:
Antidepressants to relieve depression
Sedatives to ease alcohol withdrawal
Dopamine blockers to help with drug poisoning
Thiamine to help prevent confusion
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
It describes a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with your daily life.
It isn’t a specific disease, but several different diseases may cause dementia.
What are the different types of dementia?
Alzheimer’s disease
Vascular dementia
Lewy body dementia
Frontotemporal dementia
Mixed dementia
What are the rules with telling the DVLA when diagnosed with dementia?
As soon as diagnosis occurs the individual needs to tell them of their diagnosis
If not informed you as the doctor inform them
What are the early warning signs of dementia?
4A’s – Amensia, Agnosia, Apraxia, Aphasia
WHAT IS ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?
Most common cause of dementia
Causes the brain cells to degenerate and die
What causes alzheimer’s disease?
Exact cause is unknown
Brain proteins fail to function properly, disrupt brain neurons and unleash a series of toxic events
What are the two proteins involved with alzheimers disease?
Plaques
Beta-amyloid is a leftover fragment of a larger protein. When these fragments cluster together, they appear to have a toxic effect on neurons and to disrupt cell-to-cell communication. These clusters form larger deposits called amyloid plaques, which also include other cellular debris.
Tangles
Tau proteins play a part in a neuron’s internal support and transport system to carry nutrients and other essential materials. In Alzheimer’s disease, tau proteins change shape and organize themselves into structures called neurofibrillary tangles. The tangles disrupt the transport system and are toxic to cells
What are the symptoms of alzheimer’s disease?
Memory
Early sign of the disease, difficulty remembering recent events
Thinking and reasoning
Making judgements and decisions
Planning and performing familiar tasks
Changes in personality and behaviour
Preserved skills
Reading or listening to books
What are the risk factors for developing alzheimer’s disease?
Age
Family history and genetics
Apolipoprotein E gene (APOE)
Down syndrome
Three copies of chromosome 21, appear 10 to 20 years earlier
Woman
Live longer than men
How do you diagnose alzheimer’s disease?
- Physical and neurological examination
-
Lab tests
Thyroid disorders or vitamin deficiencies - Mental status and neuropschological testing
-
Brain imaging
MRI
CT -
PET
Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET
Amyloid PET imaging
Tau PET imaging
What is the treatment for alzheimer’s disease?
Treat cognitive symptoms
Cholinesterase inhibitors - preserve acetylcholine
Donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine
N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) inhibitor - glutamate
Memantine
Safe environment
Alternative medicine
Omega-3 fatty acids
Curcumin
WHAT IS VASCULAR DEMENTIA?
General term describing problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes
What is the cause of vascular dementia?
Stroke-related VD
Multi-infarct or single-infarct dementia
Subcortical VD
Caused by small vessel disease
Mixed dementia
The presence of both VD and Alzheimer’s disease
What are the symptoms of vascular dementia?
Several months or several years of a history of a sudden or stepwise deterioration of cognitive function
- Focal neurological abnormalities e.g. visual disturbance, sensory or motor symptoms
- The difficulty with attention and concentration
- Seizures
- Memory disturbance
- Gait disturbance
- Speech disturbance
- Emotional disturbance
Can vascular dementia and alzheimer’s disease occur together?
Yes
How is vascular dementia diagnosed?
- A comprehensive history and physical examination
- Formal screen for cognitive impairment
- Medical review to exclude medication cause of cognitive decline
- MRI scan – may show infarcts and extensive white matter changes
What is the treatment for vascular dementia?
Often involves managing the risk factors
Lower blood pressure
Reduce your cholesterol levels
Prevent your blood from clotting
Help control your blood sugar
What is lewy body dementia?
Second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease
Protein deposits, called Lewy bodies, develop in nerve cells in the brain regions involved in thinking, memory and movement (motor control).
What is the cause of lewy body dementia?
- Abnormal buildup of proteins into masses known as Lewy bodies
- This protein is also associated with Parkinson’s disease
- People who have Lewy bodies in their brains also have the plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer’s disease
What are the symptoms of lewy body dementia?
Memory problems
Visual hallucinations
Hallucinations may be one of the first symptoms, and they often recur
Movement disorders
Signs of Parkinson’s disease
How do you investigate lewy body dementia?
- Usually clinical
Can use:
- Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
- OR DaTscan
How do you diagnose lewy body dementia?
The diagnostic criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies (BLB) are:
There must be a progressive cognitive decline
Two of the following must be present:
- Marked fluctuations in attention and alertness
- Recurrent visual hallucinations
- Parkinsonism
What is the treatment for lewy body dementia?
Medications
-
Cholinesterase inhibitors
Donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine -
Parkinson’s disease medications
Carvidopa-levodopa, may increase hallucinations - Sleep or movement medication
Therapies
- CBT
Neuroleptics should be avoided!
What is frontotemporal dementia?
Umbrella term for a group of uncommon brain disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain
These areas of the brain are generally associated with personality, behavior and language.
What is the most common type of frontotemporal dementia?
What are the two other types?
- Pick’s disease - MOST COMMON
- CPA - Chronic progressive aphasia
- Semantic dementia
What is the cause of frontotemporal dementia?
- Some are related to autosomal dominant mutations
- Link found between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) + Parkinsonism
What are the symptoms of frontotemporal dementia?
Behavioural changes
Speech and language problems
Movement disorders
How do you diagnose frontotemporal dementia?
Macroscopic changes seen in Pick’s disease include:-
- Atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes
Microscopic changes include:-
- Pick bodies - spherical aggregations of tau protein (silver-staining)
- Gliosis
- Neurofibrillary tangles
- Senile plaques
What is the treatment for frontotemporal dementia?
-
Antidepressants
Trazodone
May reduce the behavioral problems associated with frontotemporal dementia
SSRIs - citalopram, paroxetine or sertraline -
Antipsychotics
Olanzapine or quetiapine
Combat the behavioral problems of frontotemporal dementia
What is the difference between depression and dementia?
- Short history, rapid onset
- Biological symptoms e.g. weight loss, sleep disturbance
- Patient worried about poor memory
- Reluctant to take tests, disappointed with results
- Mini-mental test score: variable
- Global memory loss (dementia characteristically causes recent memory loss)
What is the difference between dementia and delerium?
Dementia develops over time, with a slow progression of cognitive decline.
Delirium occurs abruptly, and symptoms can fluctuate during the day.
The hallmark separating delirium from underlying dementia is inattention.
The individual simply cannot focus on one idea or task.
What is frontal lobe syndrome?
Frontal lobe syndrome is a broad term used to describe the damage of higher functioning processes of the brain such as motivation, planning, social behavior, and language/speech production
What is the cause of frontal lobe syndrome?
- Head injury
- Cerebrovascular event
- Infection
- Neoplasm
- Degenerative disorders
What are the symptoms of frontal lobe syndrome?
Cognitive
Tremor
Apraxia
Dystonia
Behavioural
Utilization behavior
Perseveration behavior
Social inhibition
Compulsive eating
Emotional
Difficulty in inhibiting emotions, anger, excitement.
Depression
How do you diagnose frontal lobe syndrome?
- Check B12 levels, thyroid function, serology for syphilis and antinuclear antibodies.
- Consider MRI/CT scanning if there is the possibility of a tumour.
- Patients often have a specialist neurological assessment and, following this, further investigations such as lumbar puncture may be performed.
What is the treatment for frontal lobe syndrome?
As patients may have lost their inhibitions or appreciation of danger, a high level of supervision may be required
If the patient can be supported at home, visiting assistance could be sought from physiotherapists, occupational therapists and/or speech therapists
Respite care may be needed
Assessment by a social worker may also be helpful
WHAT IS SCHIZOPHRENIA?
Schizophrenia (splitting of mind) is a serious mental disorder in which people have peculiar ways of thinking, behaviour and perception
What is the cause of schizophrenia?
Combination of genetics, brain chemistry and environment
Dopamine and glutamate
What are the symptoms of schizophrenia?
Positive symptoms
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Disorganised thinking
- Extremely unorganised or abnormal motor behaviour
- Insomnia
Negative symptoms
- Lack of motivation
- Not saying much
What are the first rank symptoms of schizophrenia?
- Somatic hallucinations
- Thought withdrawal and thought broadcasting
- Experience feelings or actions as made or influenced by external agents (passivity phenomena)
- Auditory hallucinations
- Delusional perception
How do you diagnose schizophrenia?
- Diagnosis of exclusion
- Exclusion of organic causes e.g. temporal-lobe epilepsy, metabolic disturbances, toxic substances
- Differentiation from other psychiatric disorders e.g. an affective disorder with psychotic symptoms must be made
Use the American Psychiatric Association diagnostic criteria
What is included in the diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of schizophrenia?
- Characteristic symptoms (flat or grossly inappropriate affect, delusions, marked loosening of association) for a period of greater than or equal to one week.
- Social relation deteration and/or self-care during the course of the illness.
- If there is an affective component to the illness then the episodes are brief in comparison to the psychotic component.
- A six month period with signs of the disturbance.
- No organic factor can be identified that initiated and maintained the disturbance.
What are the poor prognosis factors for schizophrenia?
- Strong family history
- Gradual onset
- Low IQ
- Prodromal phase of social withdrawal
- Lack of obvious precipitant
What is the treatment for schizophrenia?
- Oral atypical antipsychotics are first-line
Olanzapine, Rispiridone, Clozapine - CBT should be offered to all patients
N.B Close attention should be paid to cardiovascular risk-factor modification due to the high rates of cardiovascular disease in schizophrenic patients (linked to antipsychotic medication and high smoking rates)
What is the risk of developing schizophrenia if a monozygotic twin is affected?
50%
WHAT IS SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDER?
Combination of schizophrenia symptoms, such as hallucinations or delusions
AND
Mood disorder symptoms, such as depression or mania
What are the different types of schizoaffective disorder?
Bipolar type
Which includes episodes of mania and sometimes major depression
Depressive type
Which includes only major depressive episodes
What are the symptoms of schizoaffective disorder?
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Impaired communication and speech, such as being incoherent
- Bizarre or unusual behavior
- Depression
- Manic mood
- Impaired occupational, academic and social functioning
- Problems with managing personal care, including cleanliness and physical appearance
How do you diagnose schizoaffective disorder?
The diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder is made when there is a roughly equal proportion of psychotic and affective features in a mental illness
Diagnostic criteria for schizoaffective disorder
What is the treatment for schizoaffective disorder?
Medications
Antipsychotics
Paliperdione
Mood-stablising medications
Lithium, sodium valporate, carbamazapine
Antidepressants
TCA - amitriptyline
SSRIs - fluoxetine, citalopram, paroxetine
Psychotherapy
Life training skills
WHAT IS BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Chronic mental health disorder characterised by periods of mania/hypomania alongside episodes of depression.
What are the different type of bipolar disorder?
Bipolar I disorder
You’ve had at least one manic episode that may be preceded or followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes. In some cases, mania may trigger psychosis
Bipolar II disorder
You’ve had at least one major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode, but you’ve never had a manic episode.
Cyclothymic disorder
You’ve had at least two years — or one year in children and teenagers — of many periods of hypomania symptoms and periods of depressive symptoms (though less severe than major depression)
How do you diagnose bipolar disorder?
- Physical exam
- Psychiatric assessment
- Mood charting
-
Criteria for bipolar disorder
DSM-5
What is the treatment for bipolar disorder?
Lithium OR valproate
Management of mania
Consider stopping antidepressant if the patient takes one; antipsychotic therapy e.g. olanzapine or haloperidol
**Management of depression** Talking therapies (see above); fluoxetine is the antidepressant of choice
address co-morbidities - there is a 2-3 times increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and COPD
What is the difference between mania and hypomania?
Mania
Lasts for at least 7 days
May require hospitalization due to risk of harm to self or others
May present with psychotic symptoms
Hypomania
Lasts for < 7 days, typically 3-4 days.
Unlikely to require hospitalization
Does not exhibit any psychotic symptoms
A lesser version of mania
What are the referral choices with indivuals with bipolar disorder?
Hypomania
Routine referral to the community mental health team (CMHT)
Mania or severe depression
Urgent referral to the CMHT should be made
What do you do if a patient is having a manic episode and on an antidepressant?
Stop antidepressant and start antipsychotic
Lithium for whe nstable
WHAT IS NEUROLEPTIC MALIGNANT SYNDROME?
Rare but dangerous condition seen in patients taking antipsychotic medication
Can also be seen with levodopa when stopped
What is the cause of neuroleptic malignant syndrome?
What are examples of drugs?
- Dopamine blockade induced by antipsychotics and antiemetics
- Triggers massive glutamate release and subsequent neurotoxicity and muscle damage.
- First gen antipsychotics e.g. Haliperidol, fluphenazine
- Second gen antipsychotics e.g. Clozapine, risperidone, olanzipine
- Antiemetics - Metoclopramide, promethazine
What are the symptoms of neuroleptic malignant syndrome?
Pyrexia
Muscle rigidity
Autonomic lability
Hypertension, tachycardia and tachypnoea
Agitated delirium with confusion
How do you diagnose neuroleptic malignant syndrome?
-
Creatine kinase
Raised -
Acute kidney injruy
Deranged U&Es - Leukocytosis
What is the management for neuroleptic malignant syndrome?
- Stop antipsychotic
- IV fluids to prevent renal failure
-
Dantrolene
Thought to work by decreasing excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal muscle by binding to the ryanodine receptor, and decreasing the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum -
Bromocriptine
Dopamine agonist, may also be used
What are the factors for an increased risk of completed suicide at a later date?
- Efforts to avoid discovery
- Planning
- Leaving a written note
- Final acts such as sorting out finances
- Violent method
What factors increase the risk of suicide?
- Male sex (hazard ratio (HR) approximately 2.0)
- History of deliberate self-harm (HR 1.7)
- Alcohol or drug misuse (HR 1.6)
- History of mental illness
- History of chronic disease
- Advancing age
- Unemployment or social isolation/living alone
- Being unmarried, divorced or widowed
If a patient has attempted suicide what are the risks associated with them attempting suicide at a later date?
- Efforts to avoid discovery
- Planning
- Leaving a written note
- Final acts such as sorting out finances
- Violent method
What are the protective factors of suicide?
- Family support
- Having children at home
- Religious belief
What are the causes of alcohol withdrawal?
Suddenly stop drinking
Reduce their alcohol use too quickly
Don’t eat enough when reducing alcohol use
Have a head injury
Are sick or have an infection
What are the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal?
- Symptoms start at 6-12 hours:
Tremor
Sweating
Tachycardia
Anxiety - Peak incidence of seizures at 36 hours
- Peak incidence of delirium tremens is at 48-72 hours