Psychiatric definitions

Question 1

Somatisation disorder

Answer 1

Multiple physical symptoms for at least 2 years
Patient refuses to accept reassurance or negative test results

Question 2

Illness anxiety disorder

Answer 2

persistent belief in the presence of an underlyingserious DISEASE, e.g. cancer
patient again refuses to accept reassurance or negative test results

Question 3

Conversion disorder

Answer 3

Typically loss of motor or sensory function
The patient does not consciously feign the symptoms (factitious disorder) or seek material gain (malingering)
May be indifferent to their apparent disorder – la belle indifference

Question 4

Dissociative disorder

Answer 4

dissociation is a process of ‘separating off’ certain memories from normal consciousness
in contrast to conversion disorder involves psychiatric symptoms e.g. Amnesia, fugue, stupor
dissociative identity disorder (DID) is the new term for multiple personality disorder as is the most severe form of dissociative disorder

Question 5

Factitious disorder

Answer 5

also known as Munchausen’s syndrome
the intentional production of physical or psychological symptoms

Question 6

Malingering disorder

Answer 6

Fraudulent simulation of exaggeration of symptoms with the intention of financial or other gain

Question 7

Cluster A personality disorders

Answer 7

‘Odd or eccentric’
- Paranoid
- Schizoid
- Schizotypal

Question 8

Cluster B personality disorder

Answer 8

Dramatic, emotional or erractic
- Antisocial
- Borderline (emotionally unstable)
- Histrionic
- Narcissictic

Question 9

Cluster C personality disorder

Answer 9

Anxious and fearful
- Obsessive-compulsive
- Avoidant
- Dependent

Question 10

Cotard syndrome

Answer 10

is characterised by a person believing they are dead or non-existent. It tends to be related to depression.

Question 11

Capgras syndrome

Answer 11

is characterised by a person believing their friend or relative had been replaced by an exact double.

Question 12

Couvade syndrome

Answer 12

is also known as ‘sympathetic pregnancy’. It affects fathers, particularly during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy, who suffer the somatic features of pregnancy.

Question 13

De Clerambault’s syndrome

Answer 13

is characterised by a person believing that another individual (often a celebrity) is deeply in love with them. It typically affects females.

Question 14

Othello syndrome

Answer 14

is when the patient believes their partner is cheating on them. They may be threatening or stalk their partner. This seems to affect males more than females.

Question 15

Charles-Bonnet Syndrome

Answer 15

Is characterised by persistent or recurrent complex hallucinations (usually visual or auditory) occurring in clear consciousness.
Usually on a background of visual impairment
Insight preserved

Question 16

OCD definition

Answer 16

Presence of either obsessions or compulsions but commonly both. Can cause significant functional impairment and/or distress

Question 17

Obsession definition

Answer 17

Unwanted intrusive thought, image or urge that repeatedly enters the persons mind

Question 18

Compulsions definition

Answer 18

Repetitive behaviours or mental acts that the person feels driven to perform
- Can be overt and observable by others- checking door is locked multiple times
- Covert e.g. repeating phrase in ones mind
- Performed to prevent some objectively unlikely event usually harm to them or others
Usually recognised as pointless or ineffectual

Question 19

Circumstantiality

Answer 19

This is demonstrated by the long-winded nature of her answer. Non linear thought pattern
circuitous and non-direct thinking or speech that digresses from the main point of a conversation
Still some link

Question 20

Derailment

Answer 20

Associative looseness, also known as derailment, refers to a thought-process disorder characterized by a lack of connection between ideas. Associative looseness often results invague and confusing speech, in which the individual will frequently jump from one idea to an unrelated one.

Question 21

Pressure of speech

Answer 21

increased production of spontaneous speech

Question 22

Tangentiality

Answer 22

describes the phenomenon in which a person constantly digresses to random, irrelevant ideas and topics.

Question 23

SSRI to SSRI

Citalopram
Escitalopram
Sertraline
Paroxetine

Answer 23

Gradually reduce then stop and initiate next SSRI

Question 24

Flouxetine to SSRI

Answer 24

Withdraw and leave a gap of 4-7 days before starting low dose SSRI

Question 25

SSRI to TCA

Answer 25

Cross tapering is recommended (current dose reduced slowly, whilst the dose of new is increased slowly)

Question 26

SSRI to SNRI
Citalopram
Escitalopram
Sertraline
Paroxetine to – Venlafaxine

Answer 26

Cross-taper cautiously. Start venlafaxine 37.5mg daily and increase very slowly

Question 27

Fluoxetine to venlafaxine

Answer 27

Withdraw and then start venlafaxine 37.5mg each day and increase very slowly

Question 28

Acamprosate

Answer 28

Effective in preventing alcohol relapse – ‘anti-craving’
Acamprosate has a minimal side-effect and risk profile and is safe in combination with alcohol.
TDS

Question 29

Buprenorphine

Answer 29

Mixed opioid agonist/antagonist
Sublingual
Alternative to methadone as less sedating

Question 30

Chlordiazepoxide

Answer 30

is a benzodiazepine often used as part of a reducing regime during alcohol detoxification.

Question 31

Diazepam

Answer 31

Diazepam is typically used as an anxiolytic but is also used as part of a reducing regime during alcohol detoxification.

Question 32

Disulfiram (Antabuse)

Answer 32

is an irreversible inhibitor of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase
Deterrent to prevent alcohol relapse – causes unpleasant reaction if mixed with alcohol
Can cause life threatening reaction if alchol drank so use with caution

Question 33

Methadone

Answer 33

is an opioid mu receptor agonist and is the commonest drug used as opiate replacement therapy for patients with opioid dependence syndrome. It is taken in liquid form.

Question 34

Naltrexone

Answer 34

Is an opioid receptor antagonist that can be used to aid with relapse prevention in previously opioid-dependent patients.

Question 35

Ondansetron

Answer 35

5-HT3 used in conjuction during alcohol detoxification to managed symptoms