Psychiatry Flashcards
(385 cards)
Major Psychiatric Conditions
What is the hierarchy of diagnosis?
Organic Psychosis Affective (mood) Neurosis (Anxiety) Personality No mental illness (precedence at top)
Major Psychiatric Conditions
Define psychosis?
“loss of connection with reality”
Hallucinations
Delusions
Major Psychiatric Conditions
NO external stimulus + Perception
Hallucination
Hallucination is when there is no external stimulus but you feel/ hear something that isn’t there. Q in history taking; “have you ever seen something that others cant see” “have you ever heard voices when no one else is around”
Major Psychiatric Conditions
External stimulus + distorted perception
Illusion
Illusion is a misinterpretation of an actual stimulus.
Major Psychiatric Conditions
What is a delusion?
false unshakeable belief,
held in the face of evidence to the contrary
outside of the cultural norms for that individual
nature or content
often bizarre (especially in schizophrenia)
can be negative/nihilistic (in context of depression)
or can be grandiose (in context of mania)
Major Psychiatric Conditions
What is schizophrenia?
psychotic disorder with positive and negative symptoms
disorder of thinking, perceiving and motivation
Epidemiology
Major Psychiatric Conditions
Epidemiology of schizophrenia?
1% lifetime
M=F
M = 20s
F = ea 30s
Course and prognosis
rule of thirds; 1/3 have 1 episode and get better, 1/3 have relapsing and remitting, 1/3 stay ill.
Major Psychiatric Conditions
+ Positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
delusions hallucinations thought disorder (insertion, withdrawal, broadcast) sense of being controlled (passivity)
Major Psychiatric Conditions
- Negative symptoms
loss of motivation
loss of affect variation (“blunting”)
paucity of thought
loosening of association
Major Psychiatric Conditions
What is depression?
Clinically low in mood with cluster of physical, psychological associated symptoms which distort thinking and reduce motivation
Major Psychiatric Conditions
Epidemiology of depression?
lifetime prevalence 15%, point prevalence 5%
female:male 2:1
peak age female-40s; male-60-70s
Major Psychiatric Conditions
Sx depression?
Core / Biological
Core symptoms
low mood
low energy
inability to enjoy oneself (anhedonia)
Biological Symptoms poor sleep poor appetite poor concentration poor motivation
Major Psychiatric Conditions
What is BPAD?
manic episodes for the diagnosis
vary between the two
can be once or twice per year but can be much more rapid cycling than that
Major Psychiatric Conditions
Sx of mania?
elevated or irritable mood
reduced need for sleep
reduced appetite
increased energy
highly motivated
lots of new interests including religious ideas
poor judgment =>risky activities
libido promiscuity/risky sexual behaviour
psychotic symptoms -grandiose delusions and hallucinations
Major Psychiatric Conditions
What is somatisation?
process of converting psychological into physical symptoms
normal
becomes a disorder when the person attributes pathological meaning to it
eg
atypical cardiac pain
atypical pelvic pain
Major Psychiatric Conditions
What is Conversion Disorder?
loss of function as a result of extreme psychological distress loss of memory power sensory function speech
Major Psychiatric Conditions
Impending sense of doom
persistent sense of fear, anxiety, apprehension
motor tension
autonomic hyperactivity
Anxiety
Major Psychiatric Conditions
What is a
Personality Disorder?
When personality traits cause problems in most spheres of the person’s life
Marked difficulties with interpersonal relationships
Major Psychiatric Conditions
What is dementia?
Chronic, progressive cognitive impairment, disturbance of higher cortical functions. No clouding of consciousness
Major Psychiatric Conditions
List primary dementias
Alzheimers, LBD, FTD
Major Psychiatric Conditions
List secondary dementias?
Vascular (CT head), infective (VDRL), metabolic(B12 and folate), endocrine (TFTs)
Major Psychiatric Conditions
Epidemiology of dementia?
50% (commonest of all dementia)
30-40% prevalence at 90 years
Female:male 2:1
Major Psychiatric Conditions
Clinical Sx of LBD?
Fluctuates in alertness
Visual hallucinatons
PD
Falls, faints
Life expectancy 6yrs
Major Psychiatric Conditions
What is vascular dementia?
One or more thrombotic or embolic infarcts
Can be diffuse and/or focal NB CT head often reported as normal unless you state that you are looking for cerebrovascular disease)
Acute onset, stepwise progression