Antipsychotics in bipolar disorder — MCQs

A 35-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by his wife. She was called by his coworkers to come and pick him up from work after he barged into the company’s board meeting and was being very disruptive as he ranted on about all the great ideas he had for the company. When they tried to reason with him, he became hostile and insisted that he should be the CEO as he knew what was best for the future of the company. The patient’s wife also noted that her husband has been up all night for the past few days but assumed that he was handling a big project at work. The patient has no significant past medical or psychiatric history. Which of the following treatments is most likely to benefit this patient’s condition?

A 22-year-old male with a history of difficult-to-treat bipolar disorder with psychotic features is undergoing a medication adjustment under the guidance of his psychiatrist. The patient was previously treated with lithium and is transitioning to clozapine. Which of the following tests will the patient need routinely?

A 45-year-old obese man is evaluated in a locked psychiatric facility. He was admitted to the unit after he was caught running through traffic naked while tearing out his hair. His urine toxicology screening was negative for illicit substances and after careful evaluation and additional history, provided by his parents, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was treated with aripiprazole. His symptoms did not improve after several dosage adjustments and he was placed on haloperidol, but this left him too lethargic and slow and he was placed on loxapine. After several dosage adjustments today, he is still quite confused. He describes giant spiders and robots that torture him in his room. He describes an incessant voice screaming at him to run away. He also strongly dislikes his current medication and would like to try something else. Which of the following is indicated in this patient?

A 35-year-old woman comes to the physician accompanied by her husband after he started noticing strange behavior. He first noticed her talking to herself 8 months ago. For the past 6 months, she has refused to eat any packaged foods out of fear that the government is trying to poison her. She has no significant past medical history. She smoked marijuana in college but has not smoked any since. She appears restless. Mental status examination shows a flat affect. Her speech is clear, but her thought process is disorganized with many loose associations. The patient is diagnosed with schizophrenia and started on olanzapine. This patient is most likely to experience which of the following adverse effects?

A 24-year-old man with a history of schizophrenia presents for follow-up. The patient says that he is still having paranoia and visual hallucinations on his latest atypical antipsychotic medication. Past medical history is significant for schizophrenia diagnosed 1 year ago that failed to be adequately controlled on 2 separate atypical antipsychotic medications. The patient is switched to a typical antipsychotic medication. Which of the following is the mechanism of action of the medication that was most likely prescribed for this patient?

A 23-year-old college student presents with his parents for a follow-up appointment. He was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia and was started on risperidone approx. 2 months ago. He reports a significant improvement since the start of treatment. His parents report that their son’s symptoms of delusions, hallucinations, and paranoid behavior have been ameliorated. On physical examination, the patient seems uncomfortable. He frequently fidgets and repeatedly crosses and uncrosses his legs. When asked if something is troubling him, he gets up and starts pacing. He says, “It’s always like this. I cannot sit still. It is frustrating.” What is the most likely diagnosis?

A 34-year-old woman presents with recurrent panic attacks that have been worsening over the past 5 weeks. She also says she has been seeing things that are not present in reality and is significantly bothered by a short attention span which has badly affected her job in the past 6 months. No significant past medical history. No current medications. The patient is afebrile and vital signs are within normal limits. Her BMI is 34 kg/m2. Physical examination is unremarkable. The patient is prescribed antipsychotic medication. She expresses concerns about any effects of the new medication on her weight. Which of the following medications would be the best course of treatment in this patient?

A 30-year-old man presents to his psychiatrist for a follow-up visit. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia 6 months ago and has been taking fluphenazine. He says that his symptoms are well controlled by the medication, and he no longer has auditory hallucinations. The psychiatrist also notes that his delusions and other psychotic symptoms have improved significantly. However, the psychiatrist notices something while talking to the patient that prompts him to say, “I know the drug has effectively controlled your symptoms but I think you should discontinue it now otherwise this side effect is likely to be irreversible.” Which of the following did the psychiatrist most likely notice in this patient?

A 19-year-old female college student is brought into the emergency department by her boyfriend. The boyfriend reports that the patient got caught stealing from the company she works for and subsequently got fired. The boyfriend received a text that evening saying “I’ll miss you.” When he arrived at her dorm room, the patient was slumped in the shower covered in blood. The patient agreed to be driven to the emergency room. When asked about what happened, the patient replies “I just want out of this life.” The patient has bipolar disorder, and takes lithium as prescribed. She has a psychiatrist she sees every week, which the boyfriend confirms. She has never had a prior suicide attempt nor has she ever been hospitalized for a psychiatric disorder. The patient’s vitals are stable. Upon physical examination, a 4 centimeter vertical incision is noted on the patient’s left forearm. During the patient’s laceration repair, she asks if she will be admitted. She states, “these ups and downs are common for me, but I feel better now.” She verbalizes that she understands that she overreacted. She asks to go home, and her boyfriend insists that he will stay with her. They both confirm that neither of them have guns or know any peers with access to guns. Which of the following is the most appropriate management for the patient?

A 26-year-old female college student is brought back into the university clinic for acting uncharacteristically. The patient presented to the same clinic 6 weeks ago with complaints of depressed mood, insomnia, and weightloss. She had been feeling guilty for wasting her parent’s money by doing so poorly at the university. She felt drained for at least 2 weeks before presenting to the clinic for the first time. She was placed on an antidepressant and was improving but now presents with elevated mood. She is more talkative with a flight of ideas and is easily distractible. Which of the following statements is most likely true regarding this patient’s condition?