Psychotic Disorders Practice Questions

Question 1

A 26-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by his wife because of bizarre and agitated behavior for the last 6 weeks. He thinks that the NSA is spying on him and controlling his mind. His wife reports that the patient has become withdrawn and at times depressed for the past 3 months. He lost his job because he stopped going to work 4 weeks ago. Since then, he has been working on an invention that will block people from being able to control his mind. Physical and neurologic examinations show no abnormalities. On mental status examination, he is confused and suspicious with marked psychomotor agitation. His speech is disorganized and his affect is labile. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Schizophreniform disorder

Answer

Brief psychotic disorder

Answer

Schizotypal personality disorder

Answer

Schizophrenia

Answer

Delusional disorder

Question 2

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?

Accepted Answer

Clozapine

Answer

Haloperidol

Answer

Olanzapine

Answer

Chlorpromazine

Answer

Fluphenazine

Question 3

A 24-year-old man is brought to your emergency department under arrest by the local police. The patient was found naked at a busy intersection jumping up and down on top of a car. Interviewing the patient, you discover that he has not slept in 2 days because he does not feel tired. He reports hearing voices. The patient was previously hospitalized 1 year ago with auditory hallucinations, paranoia, and a normal mood. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Schizoaffective disorder

Answer

Schizophrenia

Answer

Bipolar disorder

Answer

Brief psychotic disorder

Answer

Schizotypal disorder

Question 4

A 21-year-old man presents to the emergency room requesting surgery to remove "microchips," which he believes were implanted in his brain by "Russian spies" 6 months ago to control his thoughts. He also reports hearing the "spies" talk to each other through embedded "microspeakers." You notice that his hair appears unwashed and some of his clothes are on backward. Urine toxicology is negative for illicit drugs. Which of the following additional findings are you most likely to see in this patient during the course of his illness?

Accepted Answer

Asociality, flat affect, and alogia

Answer

Anhedonia, guilty rumination, and insomnia

Answer

Grandiose delusions, racing thoughts, and pressured speech

Answer

Amnesia, multiple personality states, and de-realization

Answer

Intrusive thoughts, ritualized behaviors, and anxious mood

Question 5

A 27-year-old man presents to the emergency department for bizarre behavior. The patient had boarded up his house and had been refusing to leave for several weeks. The police were called when a foul odor emanated from his property prompting his neighbors to contact the authorities. Upon questioning, the patient states that he has been pursued by elves for his entire life. He states that he was tired of living in fear, so he decided to lock himself in his house. The patient is poorly kempt and has very poor dentition. The patient has a past medical history of schizophrenia which was previously well controlled with olanzapine. The patient is restarted on olanzapine and monitored over the next several days. Which of the following needs to be monitored long term in this patient?

Accepted Answer

HbA1c levels

Answer

CBC

Answer

ECG

Answer

Monitoring for acute dystonia

Answer

Renal function studies

Question 6

A 28-year-old male presents to his primary care physician with complaints of intermittent abdominal pain and alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea. His medical chart is not significant for any past medical problems or prior surgeries. He is not prescribed any current medications. Which of the following questions would be the most useful next question in eliciting further history from this patient?

Accepted Answer

"Can you tell me more about the symptoms you have been experiencing?"

Answer

"Does the diarrhea typically precede the constipation, or vice-versa?"

Answer

"Is the diarrhea foul-smelling?"

Answer

"Please rate your abdominal pain on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the worst pain of your life"

Answer

"Are the symptoms worse in the morning or at night?"

Question 7

A 45-year-old man presents to a psychiatrist by his wife with recent behavioral and emotional changes. The patient’s wife says that her husband’s personality has completely changed over the last year. She also says that he often complains of unpleasant odors when actually there is no discernible odor present. The patient mentions that he is depressed at times while on other occasions, he feels like he is ‘the most powerful man in the world.’ The psychiatrist takes a detailed history from this patient and concludes that he is most likely suffering from a psychotic disorder. However, before prescribing an antipsychotic medication, he recommends that the patient undergoes brain imaging to rule out a brain neoplasm. Based on the presence of which of the following clinical signs or symptoms in this patient  is the psychiatrist most likely recommending this imaging test?

Accepted Answer

Olfactory hallucinations

Answer

Echolalia

Answer

Anhedonia

Answer

Delusions of grandeur

Answer

Thought broadcasting

Question 8

A 34-year-old man presents to the behavioral health clinic for an evaluation after seeing animal-shaped clouds in the form of dogs, cats, and monkeys. The patient says that these symptoms have been present for more than 2 weeks. Past medical history is significant for simple partial seizures for which he takes valproate, but he has not had his medication adjusted in several years. His vital signs include: blood pressure of 124/76 mm Hg, heart rate of 98/min, respiratory rate of 12/min, and temperature of 37.1°C (98.8°F). On physical examination, the patient is alert and oriented to person, time, and place. Affect is not constricted or flat. Speech is of rapid rate and high volume. Pupils are equal and reactive bilaterally. The results of a urine drug screen are as follows:
Alcohol positive
Amphetamine negative
Benzodiazepine negative
Cocaine positive
GHB negative
Ketamine negative
LSD negative
Marijuana negative
Opioids negative
PCP negative
Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

Accepted Answer

Illusion

Answer

Delusion

Answer

Alcohol withdrawal

Answer

Visual hallucination

Answer

Cocaine intoxication

Question 9

A 21-year-old man presents to an outpatient psychiatrist with chief complaints of fatigue and “hearing voices.” He describes multiple voices which sometimes call his name or say nonsensical things to him before he falls asleep at night. He occasionally awakes to see “strange people” in his room, which frighten him but then disappear. The patient is particularly worried by this because his uncle developed schizophrenia when he was in his 20s. The patient also thinks he had a seizure a few days ago, saying he suddenly fell to the ground without warning, though he remembers the episode and denied any abnormal movements during it. He is in his 3rd year of college and used to be a top student, but has been getting C and D grades over the last year, as he has had trouble concentrating and fallen asleep during exams numerous times. He denies changes in mood and has continued to sleep 8 hours per night and eat 3 meals per day recently. Which of the following medications will be most beneficial for this patient?

Accepted Answer

Modafinil

Answer

Haloperidol

Answer

Valproic acid

Answer

Risperidone

Answer

Levetiracetam

Question 10

A 30-year-old man comes to the emergency department because of fever and productive cough for the past 4 days. During this period, he has had shortness of breath and chest pain that is worse on inspiration. He also reports fatigue and nausea. He has refractory schizophrenia and recurrent asthma attacks. He used to attend college but was expelled after threatening to harm one of his professors 2 months ago. His temperature is 38.5°C (101.3°F), pulse is 90/min, respirations are 20/min, and blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg. Crackles and bronchial breath sounds are heard on auscultation of the left lung. Laboratory studies show:
Hemoglobin 13.5 g/dL
Leukocyte count 1,100/mm3
Segmented neutrophils 5%
Eosinophils 0%
Lymphocytes 93%
Monocytes 2%
Platelet count 260,000/mm3
Which of the following medications is this patient most likely taking?

Accepted Answer

Clozapine

Answer

Chlorpromazine

Answer

Risperidone

Answer

Haloperidol

Answer

Olanzapine

Psychotic Disorders

Study Resources

Lessons

Questions

Flashcards

Lessons

Brief psychotic disorder

Schizophreniform disorder

Schizoaffective disorder

Substance-induced psychotic disorder

Psychosis due to medical conditions

Catatonia across disorders

First-episode psychosis management

Metabolic monitoring in psychotic disorders

Antipsychotic mechanisms of action

Antipsychotic side effect management

Violence risk assessment in psychosis

Cognitive remediation in psychotic disorders

Family interventions for psychotic disorders

Practice Questions

Flashcards

About Psychotic Disorders for USMLE

Lessons in Psychotic Disorders

Master Psychotic Disorders