Deck 7: Mental Status

Question 1

An aversion to touch or being held, along with delayed or absent language development, is characteristic of:

A) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
B) autism.
C) dementia.
D) mental retardation.

Answer 1

autism.

Question 2

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) may be used to:

A) estimate cognitive changes quantitatively.
B) estimate personality disorders qualitatively.
C) diagnose neurologic disorders.
D) determine the cause of memory loss.

Answer 2

estimate cognitive changes quantitatively.

Question 3

A clinical syndrome of failing memory and impairment of other intellectual functions, usually related to obvious structural diseases of the brain, describes:

A) delirium.
B) dementia.
C) depression.
D) anxiety.

Answer 3

dementia.

Question 4

Peripheral neuropathy is most likely to be manifested by:

A) impaired memory.
B) impaired abstract reasoning.
C) impaired writing ability.
D) hallucinations.

Question 5

Which type of hallucination is most commonly associated with alcohol withdrawal?

A) Olfactory
B) Visual
C) Auditory
D) Tactile

Question 6

Which observation would be most significant when assessing the condition of a patient who has judgment impairment?

A) Repeated failure to fulfill family obligations
B) Forgetting family members' birth dates
C) Going to church three times a week
D) Planning for retirement in 20 years

Question 7

When is the mental status portion of the neurologic system examination performed?

A) During the history-taking process
B) During assessment of cranial nerves and deep tendon reflexes
C) During the time when questions related to memory are asked
D) Continually, throughout the entire interaction with a patient

Question 8

Flight of ideas or loosening of associations is associated with:

A) aphasia.
B) dysphonia.
C) multiple sclerosis.
D) psychiatric disorders.

Question 9

Mrs. Griffiths, a 28-year-old patient, presents to your office to discuss her attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Which statement is true in regard to ADHD?

A) It occurs before 7 years of age.
B) It is usually related to mental retardation.
C) It is usually related to dementia.
D) It is manifested by prolonged periods of catatonic behavior.

Question 10

Loss of immediate and recent memory with retention of remote memory suggests:

A) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
B) impaired judgment.
C) stupor.
D) dementia.

Question 11

Impairment of arithmetic skills is often the result of:

A) impaired execution of motor skills.
B) impaired judgment.
C) perceptual distortions.
D) depression.

Question 12

Recent memory may be tested by:

A) asking the patient to name the past four presidents.
B) asking the patient to listen to and repeat a series of numbers.
C) showing the patient four items and asking him or her to list the items about 10 minutes later.
D) asking the patient about verifiable information, such as his or her mother's maiden name.

Question 13

You ask the patient to follow a series of short commands to assess:

A) judgment.
B) attention span.
C) arithmetic calculations.
D) abstract reasoning.

Question 14

Appropriateness of logic, sequence, cohesion, and relevance to topics are markers for the assessment of:

A) mood and feelings.
B) attention span.
C) thought process and content.
D) abstract reasoning.

Question 15

The Glasgow Coma Scale is used to:

A) determine the cause of decreased consciousness.
B) diagnose disorders that alter level of consciousness.
C) quantify consciousness.
D) predict response to stimulant medications.

Question 16

When you ask the patient to tell you the meaning of a proverb or metaphor, you are assessing which of the following?

A) Level of consciousness
B) Abstract reasoning
C) Emotional stability
D) Memory

Question 17

The ability for abstract thinking normally develops during:

A) infancy.
B) early childhood.
C) adolescence.
D) adulthood.

Question 18

Which condition is considered progressive rather than reversible?

A) Delirium
B) Dementia
C) Depression
D) Anxiety

Question 19

Assessing orientation to person, place, and time helps determine:

A) ability to understand analogies.
B) abstract reasoning.
C) attention span.
D) state of consciousness.

Question 20

A 69-year-old truck driver presents with a sudden loss of the ability to understand spoken language. This indicates a lesion in the:

A) temporal lobe.
B) Broca area.
C) frontal cortex.
D) cerebellum.

Question 21

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) should be administered for the patient who:

A) gets lost in her neighborhood.
B) sleeps an excessive amount of time.
C) has repetitive ritualistic behaviors.
D) uses illegal hallucinogenic drugs.

Question 22

The examiner should be concerned about neurologic competence if a social smile cannot be elicited by the time a child is _________ old.

Question 23

Which are signs and symptoms of dementia?

A) Aphasia
B) Apathy
C) Odd behaviors
D) Disintegration of personality
E) Lack of awareness of others

Question 24

While interviewing a patient, you ask him to explain the "Lion and the Mouse" to assess:

A) reading comprehension.
B) attention span.
C) mood and feeling.
D) reasoning skills.

Question 25

You are interviewing a 20-year-old patient with a new-onset psychotic disorder. The patient is apathetic and has disturbed thoughts and language patterns. The nurse recognizes this behavior pattern as consistent with a diagnosis of:

A) depression.
B) autistic disorder.
C) mania.
D) schizophrenia.

Question 26

Which clinical assessments test attention span?

A) Spell WORLD backward.
B) Draw a clock.
C) Say the days of the week.
D) Do arithmetic calculations.
E) Explain "a stitch in time saves nine."

Question 27

Under most conditions, adult patients should be able to repeat forward a series of _____________ numbers.