Year 3: Psychiatry Flashcards
Depression, BPAD, Schizophrenia, Detention Orders, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, ASD, LD, Personality Disorders, Eating Disorders, Addiction
Depression is due to
Decreased Serotonin (5-HT)
But also due to decreased Dopamine
What 3 dopamine pathways are affected in depression
Nigrostriatal
Mesolimbic
Anterior Cingulate
Hence side effects like anhedonia etc
3 core symptoms of Depression
- Persistent low mood (2 weeks+)
- Anhedonia
- Decreased energy, increased fatigue
F32 Criteria
(Severity of Depression)
- Mild: 1/3 core features
- Moderate: 2/3 core features + 3 additional symptoms
- Severe: 3/3 core features + 5 additional symptoms
Depression immediately becomes BPAD when
there are any manic symptoms
First line treatment for depression
Escitalopram (SSRI)
An SSRI that is to be used in pregnancy, cardio patients and anxiety patients
Sertraline (SSRI)
“As you are certain that it’s okay in pregnancy etc”
Anti-depressant that increases weight gain (appetite) and is good for sleep
Mirtazipine (Tetracycline)
Anti-depressant used for resistant depression
- Tried many drugs and they don’t work
Venlafaxine (SNRI)
Side effect of Citalopram (SSRI)
Can cause long QT syndrome
An anti-depressant with little side effects
Can be used in kids
Fluoxetine (SSRI)
Why are tricyclic anti-depressants bad in patients with suicidal risk
They are cardiotoxic, and so are easy to overdose on
Contraindications of Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
A tyramine rich diet
- Cheese
- Red wine
- Cured/processed meats
- Sauces and gravy
Why are tyramine rich food avoided in MAOIs
Can cause a hypertensive crisis
Contraindications with SSRIs
NSAIDs
Elderly (can cause hyponatraemia)
What is seen in Direct Self Harm?
Decreased activity in the pre-frontal cortex
Hallucinations seen in Psychotic Depression
Second person hallucinations
“You are fucking crazy son, kill yourself”
DSM-V Criteria for BPAD
(Subtypes of Bipolar Affective Disorder)
Type 1: More manic than depressed
Type 2: More depressed than manic
Type 3: Hypomanic due to chronic use of antidepressants
Examples of Type 1 BPAD
The “classic Bipolar person”
- Have a manic episode lasting 1 week+
- Has been depressed in the past
- Flight of ideas, grandiosity, increased activity etc
- On an absolute high
High 15% of the time
Examples of Type 2 BPAD
Most common form of BPAD
- Hypomania lasting 4 days
- Has been depressed in the past
- Reckless behaviour (spending money rashly)
- Increased libido
High 5% of the time
ICD-10 Criteria for BPAD shows
The severity of Bipolar Affective Disorder
ICD-10 Criteria for a hypomanic episode
Increased mood sustained for 4 consecutive days
Need 3/6 symptoms
ICD-10 Criteria for a manic episode
Increased mood sustained for 1 week
3/9 Symptoms
Symptoms are a bit more mental
If a BPAD patient is manic and on an antidepressant then
Take them off the antidepressant
1st line drug for BPAD
Lithium carbonate
To stabilise long term mood
If a patient is on lithium you should
- 12-hour monitoring when first started
- U&Es - as nephrotoxic
- TFTs- as thyrotoxic
Main rule for 2nd line prescribing in BPAD
- If you prescribe an antidepressant then you must also prescribe an antimanic drug
- If you prescribe an antimanic drug you must also prescribe an antidepressant drug
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If BPAD patient is mainly manic what is the 2nd line drug combination
Sodium valproate (antiepileptic) and fluoxetine (SSRI)
If BPAD patient is mainly depressed what is the 2nd line drug combination
Lamotrigine (antiepileptic) and fluoxetine (SSRI)
1st line for acute mania management
Olanzapine (atypical antipsychotic)
2nd line for acute mania management
Quetiapine (atypical antipsychotic)
Has a sedative effect
Risk factor for schizophrenia
Cannabis use
Pathophysiological changes in schizophrenia
- Reduction in grey matter
- Enlarged ventricles
Neurochemical changes in schizophrenia
Increase in dopamine
3 first rank symptoms of schizophrenia
- Delusions
- 3rd party hallucinations
- Thought interference
Patients often have a lack of insight
ICD-10 Criteria states that you need
- 1/3 first rank symptoms
- 2/4 additional symptoms
- blunting of emotion, catatonic behaviour etc
Bad prognosis of schizophrenia
Quick onset
Good prognosis of schizophrenia
If patient is depressive
Atypical Antipsychotics work on
Serotonin and dopamine
Typical Antipsychotics work on
Dopamine
Name some Atypical antipsychotics
- Risperidone
- Quetiapine
- Clozapine
- Aripiprazole
Name some typical antipsychotics
- Chlorpromazine
- Haloperidol
First line drug for schizophrenia
Risperidone
Which antipsychotic class has the least side effects
Atypicals
Side effects of atypical antipsychotics
Metabolic syndrome
- HTN
- Hyperglycaemia
- Hypercholesterolaemia
- Increased body fat around the waist
Side effects of typical antipsychotics
Extrapyramidal symptoms
- Acute dystonia (muscle contraction/spasm)
- Akathisia (motor restlessness)
- Bradykinesia (slow movement)
- Tremor
- Tardive Dyskinesia (irregular jerky movements)
Basically, you give them Parkinson’s due to blocking dopamine
Side effect of Clozapine (atypical antipsychotic)
Agranulocytosis
(decreased WCC)
What is good about aripiprazole (atypical antipsychotic)
It has the least side effects
Patient can’t move their neck
Acute neck dystonia due to haloperidol
Risk factor for puerperal psychosis
BPAD
Mum gave birth a few weeks ago and is batshit crazy, killing baby
Puerperal psychosis
Management for puerperal psychosis
Admission to specialised unit
Olfactory hallucination is usually due to
epilepsy / stroke
Auditory hallucination is usually due to
Psychosis
2nd person: Depressive psychosis
“You are useless”
3rd person: Schizophrenia
“He wants to kill her”
Visual hallucination is usually due to
An organic cause:
- Lewy Body Dementia
- Delirium
- Eye problems
Tactile hallucinations are usually due to
- Schizophrenia: Skin stretched across their head
- Parkinsonism, Ekbom’s syndrome and alcohol and cocaine use: Bugs underneath/ on skin
Gustatory (taste) hallucinations are usually due to
Epilepsy
Haptic hallucinations (inside of body/organs) are usually due to
Mood disorders
“My insides are dying”
What is the Common Law
If a psychiatric patient is going absolutely fucking mental then sedate them to fuck
Drugs used in common law
1st line: Lorazepam
- If patient is know to be on antipsychotics then add on haloperidol
Give orally if possible
If not, then give IM, if that doesn’t work wait 30mins and go IM again
The 5 pillars you need to detain someone
- Danger to themselves or others
- There must be treatment available that works
- Patient can’t make their own decisions
- No other alternative
- Confirmed mental health problem (THAT IS NOT ALCOHOL/DRUG RELATED)
Emergency Detention Order
72 hours
Section 36
Who do you need to consent to emergency detention
No one to begin with
ACT FIRST THINK LATER
MHO is required to consent while detainment is happening
Short Term Detention Order
28 days
Section 44
Who do you need to consent to a short term detention order
MHO before detention begins
Compulsory Detention Order
6 months
Who do you need to give consent to a compulsory detention order
Goes to court: Tribunal
Application is needed: MHO and 2 medical reports
Do not detain
Alcoholics or drug users
4 types of thought interference
- Insertion: “There are thoughts being put in my head”
- Withdrawal: “They are extracting my thoughts from my head”
- Broadcasting: “Everyone knows what I’m thinking”
- Blocking: “I get halfway through thinking and then my thoughts vanish”
What to say in an OCSE to someone that is clearly nuts
“I think that there is evidence to suggest that you are actually unwell, and I think that for your own wellbeing you need to receive treatment, even if that means you need to be in a hospital, although I recognise that you don’t agree with this”
Biggest comorbidity in general anxiety disorder (GAD)
Depression
Criteria for GAD
- Must feel anxious and have associated symptoms most days for 6 months
- Loss of function/ affects daily life
- Not controllable
- Irrational
Short term treatment for GAD
BZD (e.g. Diazepam)
Long term treatment for GAD
Sertraline
“Because you’re certain that it works”
Panic disorder principles
- >10mins
- Unpredictable
50% of panic disorders lead to
Agoraphobia
(avoidance of places or situations due to anxiety)
What physiological signs are seen in panic attacks
Increased lactate and CO2
(Due to being so stressed)
Gold standard treatment for Panic Disorder
CBT
Treatment of phobias
Gradual Exposure
Criteria of Obsessive Compulsion Disorder (OCD)
- Must be debilitating
- Obsessions over behaviours due to overwhelming compulsions
Treatment for OCD
Clomipramine (Tricyclic Antidepressant)
Two types of PTSD
Type 1: Single incident (RTA)
Type 2: Repetitive trauma (Abuse)
Tonic immobility is seen in
Sexual Assault
Physiological signs in PTSD
- Decreased cortisol (probably due to increased sensitivity)
- Atrophy of the hippocampus
- Deactivated Broca’s area when reliving the event (so they literally can’t speak about it)
DSM-V Criteria for PTSD
Need all within 1 month:
- 1 x intrusive symptom (e.g. flashback)
- 1 x avoidance symptom
- 2 x increased arousal symptoms
- alongside a negative mood change
1st line treatment for PTSD
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
2nd line treatment for PTSD
CBT and Venlafaxine (SNRI)
Sometimes other drugs are used:
- Primary care: Paroxetine (SSRI) and Mirtazapine (Tetracyclic)
- Secondary care: Amitriptyline (Tricyclic) and Phenelzine (MAOI)
Mammalian brain
Works down
Reptilian brain
Works up
Three eating disorders
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Bulimia Nervosa
- Binge-eating Disorder
Differentiation between eating disorders
- Anorexia: Restricted eating and purging
- Bulimia: Binge-eating and purging
- Binge-eating disorder: Binge-eating and no purge
DSM V Criteria for Anorexia
- Persistent restriction
- Intense fear of gaining weight
- Persistent purging
- Body dysmorphia
- Lack of insight
DSM V Criteria for Bulimia
- Recurrent binge eating
- Recurrent purging to compensate
- Decreased body image confidence
- Happens 1/7 for 3/12
Binge eating criteria
- Eat ridiculous amounts of food
- No purging
- Happens 1/7 for 3/12
- Often over-weight
Physiological effects on the body due to anorexia/bulimia
Decreased grey and white matter in the brain which leads to poor concentration etc
Treatment for eating disorders
CBT and supportive therapy
Re-feeding syndrome
- Body is used to decreased nutrients
- When you give a starved patient a good amount of food, their body will then think it’s fine, and use up all possible nutrients including its own stores
- Stores become depleted
Prevention of re-feeding syndrome
Taper food and supportive therapy
Monitor nutrient levels etc
3 major signs of anorexia and bulimia
- Dental caries (due to acid reflux)
- Russell’s sign (scratching of knuckles from front teeth)
- Metabolic problems (e.g. bone fractures, hair thinning)
Low-risk BMI for anorexia/bulimia
16-17.5
Moderate-risk BMI for anorexia/bulimia
15-15.9
High-risk BMI for anorexia/bulimia
13-14.9
Very high-risk BMI for anorexia/bulimia
<13
DSM V Criteria for Personality Disorders
- Can be traced back into childhood
- Remains stable and unfluctuating
- Abnormal to social norms
- Impairs individual’s functioning/ has an impact on their life
3 clusters of personality disorders
- Cluster A: Mad “Odd and Eccentric”
- Cluster B: Bad “Emotional”
- Cluster C Sad “Anxious and Avoidant”
Subtypes of Cluster A: Mad
- Paranoia “Alex Jones”
- Schizoid “Willy Wonka”
Subtypes of Cluster B: Bad
- Antisocial: “A ned”
- Borderline: “Unstable girl who breaks up with bf”
- Histrionic: “Seductive lady”
Subtypes of Cluster C: Sad
- Avoidant: “Loner that lives with his mum”
- Dependant: “Needy girlfriend”
- Obsessive-compulsive/ Anakanistic: “Germaphobe”
Difference between Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and OCD
- Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is egosyntonic (in line with your own thinking)
- OCD is egodystonic (makes you do things you don’t actually want to do)
Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder
CBT
“Alex Jones” - conspiracy guy, government are spying on us
Paranoia Personality Disorder
“Willy Wonka”- eccentric, no emotion, seclusive
Schizoid Personality Disorder
“A ned” gets in fights, destroys stuff, doesn’t think about other people’s feelings
Antisocial Personality Disorder
“Unstable girl” - breaks up with boyfriend, makes rash decisions
Borderline Personality Disorder
“Seductive lady” trys to flirt with doctor
Histrionic Personality Disorder
“Loner that lives with his mum”- doesn’t socialise
Avoidant Personality Disorder
“Needy girlfriend”
Dependant Personality Disorder
“Germaphobe” - repeatedly washes hands, and cleans worksurfaces to feel better
Obsessive-compulsive Personality Disorder
Behavioural disorders in children
“Young Antisocial Personality Disorder”
- Repeatedly gets in fights
- Suspended from school
- <12: Oppositional deficit disorder (ODD)
- >12: Conduct disorder
Treatment for anger in personality disorders, usually Borderline or Antisocial
Topiramate (anticonvulsant)
Learning disabilities increase the risk of
- Epilepsy
- Psychiatric conditions
Learning difficulty triad
- Difficulty understanding new or complex information
- Difficulty with learning new skills
- Difficulty coping independently
Normal IQ
70- 130
Learning Difficulty definition
IQ <70
Mild Learning Difficulty IQ
50-69
Moderate Learning Difficulty IQ
35-49
Mental age of 6-12
Severe Learning Difficulty IQ
20-34
Mental age of 3-6
Profound Learning Difficulty IQ
<20
Mental age of < 3
Assessment tool for Learning Difficulty
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Triad
- Inattention
- Hyperactivity
- Impulsivity
Pathophysiology of ADHD
- Decreased Dopamine in the frontal lobe, this is due to increased dopamine transporters that take away dopamine faster than usual
- Decreased NorA = affects focus
- Decreased Serotonin = affects mood
When do you treat ADHD
Only in moderate to severe cases
Management for everyone with ADHD
Supportive social care etc
First line treatment for ADHD
- Methylphenidate “Ritalin”
- Dexamphetamine “Adderall” - requires monitoring
Mechanism of action of Methylphenidate
Blocks dopamine transporters, so less dopamine is taken away
So increases dopamine
Mechanism of action of Dexamphetamine
Blocks transporters of dopamine, NorA and serotonin
So increases Dopamine, NorA and Serotonin
Second line treatment in ADHD
Atomoxetine (SNRI)
Third line treatment in ADHD
Clonidine (Alpha receptor agonist)
Fourth line treatment in ADHD
Imipramine (TCA) and Risperidone (Atypical antipsychotic)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Triad
- Decreased Communication
- Decreased Social Interaction = “Plays alone”
- Decreased Imagination = “Repetitive behaviours, no imaginative play”
Comorbidities in ASD
- ADHD
- Depression
- Epilepsy
- Dyslexia
- OCD
- Tourettes
What is the spectrum
Mild end: Asperger’s Syndrome
Moderate: Pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)
More severe: Autistic Disorder
Severe: Childhood disintegrative disorder
Asperger’s Syndrome
“High functioning”
Doctor Asperger created this syndrome during WWII to save his patients from going to Nazi Concentration camps
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Rett’s Syndrome
Associated with ASD due to similar symptoms, however, is not part of the spectrum
- Small head and seizures
- Only found in girls, as boys die early on
Pathophysiology in ASD
Increased activity in Frontal lobe: explains “obsessions”
Increased activity in amygdala: explains “social anxiety”
Increased activity in cerebellum: explains “arm flapping”
Treatment for ASD
- Supportive social care
- In aggressive patients: Risperidone (atypical antipsychotic)- decreases dopamine
Medication to aid sleep in ASD
Melatonin (secreted by the pineal gland)
Mechanism of GABA
- GABA increases the frequency of open GABA Cl- channels
- When GABA Cl- channels are open, more Cl- is allowed through which lowers the resting membrane potential (because it is negative)
- Lowered resting membrane potential makes it more difficult for a stimulus (neuron) to reach the transmission threshold to generate a transmission signal
Increased GABA
“Relaxed effect”
Decreases neurons firing in the brain due to the lowered threshold
- Calming effect
- Sedative effect
- Muscle relaxant
- Anterograde amnesia (can’t make new memories)
Decreased GABA
“Excited effect”
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
Mechanism of action of BZDs
Increase GABA to cause a relaxed effect
Withdrawal effect from BZDs
Excited effect
Due to neurons being used to decreased Cl - levels, that have lowered the resting membrane potential. When the resting membrane returns to normal there are over-firing of neurons
ICD-10 Criteria for Addiction
- Strong desire
- Difficulty controlling addiction
- Absence of stimulus causes a withdrawal state
- Developed tolerance
- Neglect of other pleasures
- Persistence despite harm
Pathophysiology of addiction
- Dopamine D2 receptors become desensitized
- Orbital frontal cortex: increased in situations of opportunity for stimulus and in cravings
- Pre-frontal cortex: is overpowered
Action of orbital frontal cortex
Motivator to act
Action of Mesolimbic pathway
Responsible for incentive behaviour and is involved in normal pleasure
Action of pre-frontal cortex
Rational self
Effect on the brain of dopamine
Allows you to set new goals and focus on them
Dopamine levels in ADHD
Decreased
As they have no new goals to concentrate on hence why they cannot concentrate on one thing at a time
Dopamine levels in ASD
Increased
Which means they become too focused on one goal hence their obsessions
Why is it easier to become addicted to something when you are younger
Frontal lobe areas are still developing and so your rational self is overpowered more easily, and you have more motivation to act etc
Pathophysiology of tolerance
- Due to repeated dopamine release, D2 receptors become desensitised to dopamine
- This means that to get a stronger high you need to get more dopamine to elicit the same response
- Hence why you increase your dose to get the same high
- This is tolerance building
CAGE questionnaire in addiction
- “Have you been thinking about Cutting down addiction habit”
- “Do you or other people get Annoyed at your addiction”
- “Do you feel Guilty about your addiction”
- “Do you use it as an Eye-opener in the morning, like coffee?”
1/4 = Raises suspicion
2/4 = indicative of abuse
Pathophysiology of Alcohol Addiction
- Alcohol increases the effect of GABA
Hence why you have less inhibition when drunk
- Chronic effect of this causes a tolerance to GABA and to alcohol
- Glutamate channels (NMDA) don’t work in Alcohol
Delerium Tremens peaks at
2 days
Seizures happen in Delirium Tremens within
24 hours of withdrawal
Delirium Tremens resolves in
5-7 days
Pathophysiology of Delirium tremens
Due to the tolerance of alcohol, the neurons in the brain are more used to a lowered resting membrane potential (as GABA works better in the presence of alcohol)
In a withdrawal state: this causes the resting membrane potential to be increased due to the absence of alcohol, so the neurons over fire the threshold “hyperexcitability” causing excitatory symptoms like:
- Seizures
- Tremor
- Confusion- due to inhibited glutamate (used in memory)
Treatment of Delirium Tremens
- Chlordiazepoxide (BZD) or diazepam (BZD)- cause a relaxing effect
- Thiamine (B1) supplements
Liver function test raised in Alcoholism (liver injury)
GGT
Haematological marker raised in alcoholics
Increased MCV
Calculation for Alcohol units
1 unit = 10ml pure ethanol
units = (% x volume) / 10
Ethanol is broken down into
Acetaldehyde
Enzyme responsible for breakdown of ethanol to acetaldehyde
Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)
Acetaldehyde is responsible for
Hangovers
Acetaldehyde is broken down into
Acetate
Enzyme responsible for the breakdown of acetaldehyde into acetate
aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)
Some Asian populations lack
ALDH
This causes them to have a build up of acetaldehyde which causes them to experience hangover symptoms instantly instead of the next morning
Drugs used to prevent Alcohol addiction relapse
- 1st line: Naltrexone
- Disulfiram
- Acamprosate
*
Effect of Naltrexone
Reduces reward from alcohol
Effect of Disulfiram
Inhibits ALDH causing hangover symptoms immediately
Effect of Acamprosate
Reduces alcohol cravings
Antidote to Opiate overdose
Naloxone
Predetermined person to make decisions on your behalf if you are not deemed to have capacity
Power of Attorney
Court assigns a guardian to make decisions on a patient once they are incapacitated
Guardianship
Doctors making the best decisions on behalf of the patient until a guardian is decided
Adults with Incapacity Act
Authorises treatment of someone without capacity
Mental Health Act 2003 (Section 47)