Test: Basics of Psychiatry - 1 - NEET PG MCQ

The sections of a Mental State Examination include:

• Mood and affect
• Speech and language
• Cognition

Each of these areas helps to assess a person's mental health effectively.

Anhedonia is observed in both depression and schizophrenia.

Alexithymia refers to the inability to recognise and describe one’s own feelings. People with alexithymia often struggle to identify their emotions and may find it challenging to express them.

This condition can lead to difficulties in forming emotional connections with others, as understanding one's own feelings is crucial for effective communication and empathy.

Key characteristics of alexithymia include:

• Difficulty in identifying emotions
• Challenges in describing feelings
• Tendency to focus on external events rather than internal experiences

Overall, alexithymia impacts emotional awareness and expression, making it a significant factor in emotional and social interactions.

A person who experiences sudden changes in emotions, such as laughing one moment and crying the next, is described as having labile affect. This term refers to emotional instability where a person’s emotions can shift quickly without any clear reason. Here are some key points about labile affect:

• It involves rapid changes in mood.
• These mood swings can occur without any obvious triggers.
• It is often associated with certain psychological conditions.

Understanding labile affect can help in recognising emotional difficulties and seeking appropriate support.

The neuroanatomical basis for the generation of emotions lies within the limbic system; however, the regulation and control of these emotions is primarily the responsibility of the frontal lobe.

In the case of a phantom limb, the individual experiences sensations in the limb that has been amputated. Therefore, it is a disorder related to perception.

When a patient perceives sensations without any external stimulus, this is identified as a hallucination. In the case of autoscopic hallucination, the patient observes their reflection in a mirror and perceives that 'he' is the 'image'; in other words, what he sees is not merely an image but himself.

A patient seeing a rope and mistaking it for a snake is experiencing an illusion. This occurs when the brain misinterprets a real object, leading to a false perception. Unlike hallucinations, which involve perceiving something that isn't there at all, illusions are based on real stimuli but are misinterpreted. Here are key points:

• Illusion: Misinterpretation of real objects.
• Hallucination: Perception of non-existent things.
• Delusion: Strongly held false beliefs.
• Depersonalization: Feeling detached from oneself.
• Derealization: Feeling that the world is unreal.

In this case, the patient is experiencing an illusion because the rope is real, but they see it incorrectly as a snake.

Hallucinations take place in external and objective environments; in contrast, pseudohallucinations happen in internal and subjective realms.

All the statements are accurate. Nevertheless, if a choice must be made, the most suitable response would be B (sensory organs are not involved), since the other three alternatives constitute the criteria for hallucinations.

Lesions in the temporal lobe can lead to various forms of hallucinations. In particular, the presence of complex visual hallucinations should strongly suggest the possibility of an organic issue, especially one relating to temporal lobe pathology.

The occurrence of significant visual hallucinations strongly indicates an underlying organic issue, such as a disruption in the brain parenchyma, which may include conditions like tumours.

While rising from bed,

• it is essential to stretch gently to awaken your muscles.
• Consider taking a moment to breathe deeply, which can help to clear your mind.
• Hydrating with a glass of water is also beneficial to kickstart your metabolism.
• Finally, set a positive intention for the day ahead.

Hypnagogic hallucinations arise during the process of falling asleep. Jactatio capitis nocturna, also referred to as rhythmic movement disorder, is a neurological condition marked by involuntary movements, typically involving the head and neck, both prior to and during sleep.

Hallucinations are experiences where a person sees, hears, or feels things that are not present. They can occur in various conditions. Here’s a breakdown of the scenarios:

• Schizophrenia: This mental health disorder commonly involves hallucinations.
• Seizures due to intracerebral space occupying lesions: These can also lead to hallucinations, as the brain is affected.
• LSD intoxication: Using this drug often causes hallucinations.
• Anxiety: While anxiety can cause distressing thoughts, it typically does not result in true hallucinations.

Therefore, hallucinations are not usually seen in anxiety cases.

Visual hallucinations represent the most prevalent form of hallucinations observed in delirium. Temporal lobe epilepsy may manifest with various types of hallucinations, including visual ones.

• In hebephrenic schizophrenia, the main symptom is disordered behaviour and formal thought disturbances.
• However, hallucinations can also be present.

Reflex hallucinations are a type of condition related to the perception of sensations that are not actually present. This can often lead to a misinterpretation of signals in the body. Here are some key points about reflex hallucinations:

• Kinesthesia: Refers to the sense of body movements and position, but does not involve hallucinations.
• Paresthesia: Involves abnormal sensations like tingling or prickling, yet is distinct from hallucinations.
• Hyperesthesia: Is an increased sensitivity to stimuli, which can sometimes lead to misperceptions.
• Synesthesia: Is a condition where stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to automatic experiences in another pathway, such as seeing sounds.

Thus, reflex hallucinations are most closely associated with synesthesia, where the brain misinterprets sensory input, leading to unusual experiences. Understanding these terms can help clarify the differences between various sensory conditions.

The term 'cognition' refers to the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge and understanding. It encompasses various functions, including:

• Perception: How we interpret sensory information.
• Thought: The processes of reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making.
• Memory: How we store and recall information.
• Language: The ability to communicate and understand speech.

Overall, cognition is primarily about thought and how we process information. It is essential for learning and understanding the world around us.