Pyschiatry Flashcards
What are the 7 stages of addiction?
1) craving
2) dependance
3) withdrawal
4) salience
5) narrowing of repitoire
6) loss of control
7) relapse
Regarding the 7 stages of addiction, how many do you need to have at one time in a 12 month period to be classified as addicted?
3 stages
What are the the different parts of the mental state exam?
Appearance and behaviour
Speech (look for formal thought disorder)
Mood (3 core, 4 biological, psychological and risk)
Thought (obsessive or delusional thoughts)
Perception (illusion or hallucinations)
Cognition - are they orientated in time, person and place
Insight and capacity
What are the 3 core elements of mood?
Energy
Enjoyment
Mood scale (1-10)
- objective and subjective
What are the 4 biological elements of mood?
Sleep
Appetite
Concentration
Libido
What are the 5 stepwise questions to ask regarding risk assessment in a psychiatric history?
1) Thoughts of life not worth living
2) thoughts of self harm
3) thoughts of killing
4) plans to kill
5) Protective factors
Apart from risk of self harm what else do you need to assess in a psychiatric risk assessment?
Risk to self - neglect, vulnerability
Risk to others
What is the difference between thought form and thought content?
Thought form - the form of the speech (this is abnormal in formal thought disorders)
Thought content - what they are speaking about
What are the 4 types of formal thought disorder?
Poverty - depression
Pressure - manic phase of bipolar
Loss of association - schizophrenia
Circumstantiality - dementia
What are the hallmarks of an obsessive thought?
Recurrent
Intrusive
Unpleasant
What is the definition of a delusional thought?
Fixed, false and out of keeping
What are the different types of delusional thoughts?
Persecutory (most common and non-specific) Mood congerent (nilhilistic or grandiose) Schizophrenic delusions
What are the different types of delusional thoughts which are specific to schizophrenia?
Thought insertion
Thought extraction
Control - like someone is moving arms and legs like puppet
Reference - like the TV is talking to you
What is the difference between an illusion and a hallucination?
Illusion - incorrect image in the presence of a stimulus
Hallucination - no stimulus present, but all the qualities of a true perception
What are the different types of hallucinations?
Which is most common?
Based on senses: Auditory (most common) Visual Touch Smell Taste
What is a pseudohallucination?
Eg, hearing a voice in your head
Doesn’t have all the qualities of a true perception
What is formulation in psychiatry?
What are the components?
Formulations are used to communicate a hypothesis from the history and provide a framework for treatment approach
3 P’s (predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating) 3 components (biological, psychological and social)
What does the accrynom SADMOPP stand for regarding differentials in psychiatry?
Substance abuse Anxiety Developmental disorder Mood disorder (unipolar or bipolar) Organic (ALWAYS CONSIDER UNTIL RULED OUT) Psychosis Personality Disorder
What is the ICD-10 Diagnosis Criteria for Depression?
Symptoms need to be present for a minimum of 2 weeks
Must contain at least 2 of the core symptoms
Must contain at least 2 of the other symptoms
What are the 3 core symptoms for depression?
Depressed mood - that doesn’t improve to positive events
Anhedonia (loss of pleasure and enjoyment)
Anergia (loss of energy, fatigue)
What are the other non core depressive symptoms?
Impaired concentration
Reduced self a stem
Sleep disturbance
Loss of appetite
Psychomotor changes - retardation and agitation
Psychotic symptoms - delusions and auditory hallucinations
What are the classic sleep disturbances seen in a patient with depression?
Early morning awakening - 2 hours before usual time
Middle insomnia - waking up during the night and having difficulty falling asleep again
Initial insomnia - problems falling asleep initially
If you suspected someone had depression, how could you confirm this?
Using a PHQ-9 Questionnaire
What are the important differentials when thinking about depression?
Bipolar - ask about manic phases
Bereavement - ask about recent family death
Chronic medical conditions - increase risk
Medications - some increase risk
Which medications increase the risk of depression?
Corticosteroids Beta blockers Stains Oral contraception Isotretinoin Topiromate
What initial investigations should you do when investigating depression?
BP, pulse, BMI - good baseline for medications
FBC, U&Es, LFTs, TFTs HbA1C - look for underlying chronic conditions
ECG - useful for some antidepressant meds can increase QT interval
What are the different grading of depression?
Mild, moderate, severe
Graded on severity of symptoms and functional impairment
How is depression managed?
Mild - watchful waiting and supportive consultation, review in 2 weeks
Moderate/severe - trial antidepressant
What lifestyle management is important in depression?
Time off work - especially if stress is impacting mood
Stop drinking/smoking
Exercise - 30 mins 3x a week
Encourage social support
What guidance should you give to someone before starting an antidepressant medication?
Can take 3-6 weeks before they start to work
Tend to feel worse initially - because side effects kick in before therapeutic effect of drug
Need to trial antidepressant for at least 2 months before switching
Must continue on drug even once they feel better to decrease risk of relapse
Little benefit switching between classes - unless for side effect reasons
What are the different classes of antidepressants?
TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants)
SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
SNRIs (serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors)
MOIs (Monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
5HT2A Antagonists
How do tricyclic antidepressants work?
Block reuptake of noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine
Give examples of TCAs
Disipramine
Amitriptyline
Clomipramine
What are the main side effects of TCAs?
Lower seizure threshold
Cardiotoxic - can prolong QT interval
Lethal in overdose
Anticholinergic effects - dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, urinary retention, confusion
Antiadrenergic effects - postural hypotension, sexual dysfunction
Antihistamine effects - sedation, weight gain
How to SSRIs work?
Block serotonin reuptake by SERT (Serotonin transporter)
This prolongs the actions of released serotonin
However this takes weeks to come into affect as initially the 5HT neurons decrease the firing in response to increased serotonin and autoreceptors on the neurons. Over time these autoreceptors desensitise
Give examples of the common SSRIs used?
Sertraline
Citalopram
Paroxetine
Fluoxetine
What are the common SSRI side effects?
GI disturbance - nausea and diarrhoea Sexual dysfunction Restlessness, nervousness, agitation, sweating (note that these initial symptoms can make the patient feel worse) Dry mouth Loss of appetite Insomnia
How do SNRIs work?
Inhibit the reuptake of serotonin and noradrenaline
Act like TCAs but without the anticholingergic, antiadrenergic and antihistamic side effects - this is because they don’t inhibit dopamine reuptake
Give examples of the commonly used SNRIs
Venlafaxine
Duloxetine
How do MOIs (Monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
Monoamine oxidase is an enzyme that breaks down serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine
MOIs bind to monoamine oxidase and prevent its action
What is the main side effect of MOIs?
Why are they not used anymore in treating depression?
Hypertensive crisis
This is because monoamine oxidase is also needed to metabolise other monoamines - such as dietary tyramine (which is found in red wine, cheese)
If you block activity then this will lead to a build up of these foods which will cause a hypertensive crisis
Give an example of a MAOIs
Why is this famous?
Iproniazid
First antidepressant ever licensed, originally a TB drug
What s serotonin syndrome?
Major side effect of antidepressant
Caused by excessive serotonin
Presents with extreme sympathetic nervous system response (hyperthermia, hypertension, hyperreflexia, tachycardia, tremor, agitation, irritability, sweating, diarrhoea, dilated pupils)
Many patients with depression relapse after their first episode. How is the risk of relapse determined?
Low risk of relapse - in first episode patients with no risk factors
Moderate risk of relapse - any risk factors present e.g, (residual symptoms, previous depressive episodes, severe depression)
High risk of relapse - patients with >5 lifetime episodes or 2 episodes in the last year
How long should patients stay on antidepressants for?
This depends on their risk of relapse:
- Low risk of relapse - 6-9 months
- moderate risk of relapse - at least 1 year
- high risk of relapse - at least 2 years
What is the process for coming off antidepressant medication
Need to consider withdrawal symptoms and reccurance of symptoms
Come off slowly over a course of 4 weeks - several months depending on dose and severity of depression
Only come off medication at an appropriate time - not during a time of stress e.g, moving house, new job, wedding, exam
What options are there for treatment resistant depression?
Lithium
ECT
When would you refer a patient with depression to psychiatric services?
If the patient doesn’t respond to multiple treatments
If there is significant risk of suicide, self harm, self neglect or harm to others
If there are any psychotic symptoms present
If you suspect bipolar disorder
If the patient is a child/adolescent with severe major depression
What are the important questions to ask someone after a suicide attempt?
What precipitated the event Was it planned or impulse Did they plan to kill themselves or was it a cry for help Did they leave a note Were they intoxicated Previous attempts Current risk assessment
Which pathway in the brain is associated with excessive dopamine in schizophrenia?
Associative striatum of the nigrostriatal pathway
What is psychosis?
A mental disorder in which thoughts and emotions are impaired so the person loses contact with reality
Note that psychosis is not a diagnosis - but recognising it is the first step towards making a diagnosis
How does psychosis commonly present?
Delusions and/or hallucinations - these often drive a disturbance of behaviour
Paranoid thinking
What are the causes of psychosis?
Organic cause - important to rule out Schizophrenia Drug induced psychosis Bipolar - manic phase Severe depression Dementia
What other features may be present if psychosis is caused by an underlying physical disease?
Disorientation
Memory problems
Neurological features
What initial investigations would be done for a patient presenting with psychosis?
Need to investigate to rule out organic cause:
Bloods - FBC, LFTs, TFTs, bone profile, U&Es
ECG - as some antipsychotics prolong QT interval
MRI scan - rule out organic cause (done if there are other neurological findings)
In a patient presenting with a 1st episode psychosis, what is the management?
Referral to the EIS (Early intervention service) mental health team
Trial of oral antipsychotic
Physiological interventions e.g, CBT
What is the EIS (Early intervention service)?
Mental health team which help people aged 14-35 with early psychosis
Help to reduce the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) to help improve outcomes
Help improve access to effective treatment particularly in the ‘critical period’ (3-5 years following onset)
Who can initiate antipsychotic treatment?
Only a qualified psychiatrist
GP can not initiate but can continue treatment in community with consent from psychiatry team
What are the 4 main dopamine pathways in the brain?
Nigrostriatal - involved in motor control, and emotion
Mesolimbic - involved in feelings of reward/pleasure
Mesocortical - inovled in cognition and memory
Tuberoinfundibular - involved in inhibiting prolactin production
What is the main mechanism of antipsychotics?
Act on the 4 main dopamine pathways in the brain
Majority act on D2 receptors (inhibitory receptors)
What are the main side effects of antipsychotics?
Metabolic side effects (weight gain, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, Hyperlipidemia) Sedation Extrapyramidal (movement disorders) Cardiovascular (prolong QT interval) Hormonal (increase prolactin)
What monitoring would you do before starting a patient on an antipsychotic?
Need to check baseline due to side effect profile
Weight
Pulse, BP, ECG
Bloods - glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile, prolactin
Assess for movement disorders
Assess nutritional status, diet and exercise level
What is the difference between typical and atypical antipsychotics?
Typical - act to reduce dopamine by acting as D2 receptor antagonists (because of this they have a high EPS side effect profile)
Atypical - have lower D2 receptor affinity and higher serotonin 5-HT2A receptor affinity (serotonin-dopamine 2 antagonists). They affect dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission in the 4 main dopamine pathways
Give examples of typical antipsychotics used?
Haloperidol
Sulpiride
Fluphenazine
Amisulpiride
How is amisulpiride different to the other typical antipsychotics used?
Highly selective for D2 and D3 Limbic subtypes
Reduces EPS side effects e.g, parkinsonism
Has favourable outcomes for weight gain
Side effect - may cause hyperprolactinaemia
Give some examples of atypical antipsychotics used?
Risperidone Olanzapine Quetiapine Aripiprazole Clozapine
Which of the atypical antipsychotics is most likely to cause extrapyramidal side effects?
Risperidone
Which of the atypical antipsychotics is most associated with weight gain?
Olanzapine
Which atypical antipsychotic can also be used as an antidepressant at lower doses?
Quetiapine
Which atypical antipsychotic is most likely to prolong the QT interval?
Quetiapine
Which atypical antipsychotic has a unique mechanism in that is acts as a D2 agonist?
Aripiprazole