Psychiatry Flashcards
(218 cards)
Define psychosis
Symptom of several mental illnesses which causes the patient to perceive or interpret things differently from those around them, may include hallucinations and delusions
List causes of psychosis
Schizophrenia - most common psychotic disorder
Depression
Bipolar affective disorder - mania with psychotic symptoms
Delusional disorder
Acute and transient psychotic disorders
Schizoaffective disorder
Neurological conditions e.g. Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease
Substance induced psychosis - prescribed or illicit drugs e.g. steroids, cannabis, amphetamines or alcohol
Organic cause - stroke, temporal lobe epilepsy, brain tumours
Describe the presentation and main clinical features of psychosis
Most present between 15-30
Positive symptoms - delusions, hallucination, disorganised thought, speech, behaviour
Negative symptoms - emotional blunting, reduced speech, loss of motivation, self neglect, emotional withdrawal
Describe the presentation and main clinical features of psychosis
Peak age of first episode is between 15-30
May follow major/traumatic life event/stress
Hallucinations - auditory most common
Delusions - paranoid, grandiose, jealous, guilt, referential, somatic, religious
Thought, speech or behaviour disorganisation - tangentiality, word salad, repetitive/odd movements, catatonia
Negative symptoms - reduced emotional expression, decreased motivation, reduced spontaneous speech
Define acute and chronic psychosis
Acute (brief) psychotic disorder - sudden onset psychotic behaviour lasting less than 1 month, followed by complete remission with possible future relapses
Chronic - psychotic behaviour >1 month, or chronic mental illness e.g. schizophrenia where psychotic symptoms are a significant part of the illness picture, requiring treatment
Compare the features of acute and chronic psychosis
Acute
Lack of insight
Auditory hallucinations
Ideas of reference
Suspiciousness
Thought disorder
Flat affect
Voices speaking to patient
Delusions - often of persecution
Thoughts spoken aloud
Chronic - can have features of acute +
Social withdrawal
Lack of conversation
Slowness
Over activity
Odd ideas/behaviour
Depression
Neglect of appearance
Odd postures/movements
Threats or violence
Describe the aetiology of schizophrenia
Combination of psychological, environmental, biological and genetic factors - some people have susceptibility and life experiences act as trigger
Genetic - family history, ethnicity (Afro-Caribbean)
Developmental - obstetric complications (malnutrition, pre-eclampsia, infections), winter birth, reduced brain volume, enlarged ventricles, young cannabis use
Environmental - low socioeconomic status, urban areas, migration, social isolation, adverse life events, family relationships, drug abuse
Neurotransmitters - excess of dopamine in mesocorticolimbic system (positive symptoms), less dopamine in mesocortical tracts (negative symptoms)
Also serotonin and glutamate abnormalities.
List the subtypes of schizophrenia and their defining features
Paranoid schizophrenia - most common, paranoid delusions and auditory hallucinations
Hebephrenic schizophrenia - adolescents and young adults, mood changes, unpredictable behaviour, fragmented hallucinations, poor prognosis with rapidly developing negative symptoms
Simple schizophrenia - negative symptoms only (never experienced positive)
Catatonic schizophrenia - psychomotor features e.g. posturing, rigidity, stupor
Undifferentiated schizophrenia - symptoms do not fit with other categories
Residual schizophrenia - negative symptoms, positive symptoms have ‘burnt out’
Describe the clinical features of schizophrenia
Positive symptoms
Thought echo - hearing own thoughts out loud*
Thought insertion or withdrawal*
Thought broadcasting*
3rd person auditory hallucinations*
Delusional perception*
Passivity and somatic passivity*
Odd behaviour
Thought disorder
Lack of insight
- = first-rank symptoms
Negative symptoms
Blunted affect
Apathy
Social isolation
Poverty of speech
Poor self-care
Alogia - poverty of speech
Avolition - lack of motivation/interest
Describe the typical natural course of schizophrenia
Psychosis may be preceded by prodromal period that can last from days - year
Prodromal symptoms - sleep disturbance, problems with memory, concentration, communication, affect and motivation, transient low-intensity psychotic episodes with hallucinations or delusions
Prodrome usually followed by acute psychotic episode with hallucinations, delusions and behavioural disturbances
Usually present at this point, brought in by family, police or self, and will have interventions which lead to regression/resolution of symptoms - may still have negative symptoms
Most common course is initial improvement of symptoms with ongoing recurrent acute psychotic episodes or relapses over many years - 15% have symptoms unresponsive to treatment initially
Describe the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia
- First-rank symptom or persistent delusion present for at least one month
Auditory hallucinations
Delusions of thought interference
Passivity
Delusional perception - No other causes for psychosis e.g. drug intoxication or withdrawal, brain disease, extensive depressive or manic symptoms
Describe the treatment strategy for schizophrenia
First episode psychosis - oral antipsychotic medication (usually atypical 1st line) + psychological interventions (family therapy, CBT)
May need inpatient care, may be under Mental Health Act
Start antipsychotic dose low and titrate up
Ongoing management - monitor for side effects of pharmacological management, if treatment resistant can try alternatives (clozapine used when others ineffective), important to consider social aspects e.g. housing, crisis resolution for relapses
List the pharmacological options for management of psychosis and schizophrenia, describe their MOA and give examples
D2 (dopamine) receptor antagonists
Typical - generalised dopamine receptor blockade
Haloperidol
Chlorpromazine
Flupentixol decanoate (depot injection)
Atypical - more selective dopamine blockade, also block serotonin 5-HT2 receptors
Olanzapine
Risperidone (depot injection)
Clozapine
Amisulpride
Quetiapine
List side effects of typical antipsychotics
Extra-pyramidal side effects - Parkinsonism, akathisia (restlessness), dystonia, dyskinesia
Hyperprolactinaemia - sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, amenorrhoea, galactorrhoea, gynocomastia and hypogonadism in men
Metabolic - weight gain, increased risk T2DM, hyperlipidaemia
Anticholinergic - tachycardia, blurred vision, dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention
Neurological - seizures, neuroleptic malignant syndrome
Cardiovascular - tachycardia, arrhythmias, QT prolongation, postural hypotension
List side effects of atypical antipsychotics and compare these to typical antipsychotics
Less likely to cause extra-pyramidal side effects and hyperprolactinaemia than typicals
Clozapine - agranulocytosis (requires monitoring for neutrophil levels)
Metabolic - weight gain, T2DM, hyperlipidaemia
Anticholinergic - tachycardia, blurred vision, dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention
Neurological - seizures, neuroleptic malignant syndrome (lower risk than typicals)
Cardiovascular - tachycardia, arrhythmias, QT prolongation, postural hypotension
List factors which are associated with a poorer prognosis in schizophrenia
Delayed diagnosis/management - longer initial psychotic episode/prodromal period
Lack of clear precipitant
Low IQ
Drug misuse
Low social functioning prior to onset of disease
Prominent negative symptoms
Poor response to antipsychotic medication
List complications of schizophrenia
Suicide
CVD
Cancer
Substance misuse
Social isolation
Describe the indications, side effects and monitoring required for clozapine
Used in treatment-resistant schizophrenia - if not responded to treatment with at least two other antipsychotics (usually one first-generation and one second-generation), or not tolerated other options
Common side effects
Sedation
Constipation
Tachycardia
Weight gain
Hypersalivation
Hypo/hypertension
Hyperglycaemia
Rare but serious side effects
Neutropaenia, agranulocytosis
Seizures
Cardiac - myocarditis, cardiomyopathy
Constipation can lead to ileus, bowel obstruction
Monitoring
Initially weekly FBC
Plasma clozapine levels sometimes monitored - compliance, high dose, smoking status changes (rises with reduction/cessation)
Seek urgent medical assessment if develop flu-like symptoms
List contraindications/cautions for antipsychotic medications
Atypical (e.g. haloperidol) - congenital long QT, history of torsades de pointes, recent acute MI, uncorrected hypokalaemia, uncompensated heart failure, with other drugs which prolong QT
Cautions for all antipsychotic drugs:
CNS depression, other drugs which cause CNS depression e.g. benzodiazepines
Cardiovascular disease
Conditions predisposing to seizures, epilepsy
Diabetes
Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body disease
Prostatic hypertrophy or history of urinary retention
Elderly, frail, prone to falls
Prolactin-dependent tumours
Risk factors for stroke
Risk of closed angle glaucoma
Pregnancy, especially first trimester
List the indications for antipsychotic drug treatment
Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders - typical and atypical for acute episodes and maintenance therapy (typical better for positive symptoms, atypical for both positive and negative)
Acute mania - typical and atypical (except clozapine) + mood stabilisers
Major depressive disorder with psychotic features - typical and atypical + antidepressant
Delusional disorder - typical
Severe agitation - short-term, where other methods have failed
Tourette disorder - haloperidol, pimozide
Borderline personality disorder with psychotic symptoms
Dementia and delirium - low dose, short-term, where other methods have failed
Substance-induced psychotic disorder - caution with typicals in alcohol withdrawal
List risk factors which contribute to the aetiology of depression
Biological:
FH
Female sex
Age - teens-40s
Substance misuse
Physical health problems - Parkinson’s, MS, hypothyroidism, chronic illness
Psychological:
Personality traits - dependent, anxious, obsessional
Low self esteem
Childhood trauma
Traumatic life events
Social:
Lack of social support
Low socioeconomic status
Marital status - divorced
Unemployment
Describe the clinical features of depression
Symptoms >2 weeks, not attributable to organic or substance causes, impair daily function and cause significant distress
Core symptoms:
Low mood
Anhedonia
Lack of energy
Cognitive symptoms:
Feelings of guilt, uselessness, worthlessness
Suicidal thoughts
Poor concentration
Functional/somatic symptoms:
Sleep disturbance - early waking, insomnia
Weight loss/gain, appetite loss
Loss of libido
Psychomotor agitation or retardation
Memory problems
Can have hallucinations and delusions - usually mood congruent
List the differential diagnoses for depression
Depressive episode due to substance/medication
Bipolar affective disorder
Pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder
Bereavement/normal reaction to life event
Anxiety disorder
Organic cause - hypothyroidism, Cushing’s
How is depression managed?
Mild depression (2 typical core symptoms and two other core symptoms):
Short-term - low-intensity psychosocial interventions (CBT, mindfulness and meditation), SSRI antidepressants if patient preference, history of more severe depression, depression >2 years, continuing symptoms after other interventions
Moderate or severe depression (two typical core symptoms + >3 other core symptoms):
Short-term - high-intensity psychosocial interventions (CBT, counselling, psychotherapy), antidepressants (e.g. SSRI, SNRI)
If depressive episode with psychotic symptoms - antipsychotic also given (quetiapine or olanzapine)
ECT if severe, unresponsive to treatment, life-threatening
Long-term for mild, moderate or severe - risk assessment, review response to pyschosocial and drug treatment, assess social support, relapse prevention plan