Deck 14: Neurocognitive Disorders

Question 1

With a few exceptions, cell bodies and neural pathways in the brain ________

A) are destined for growing deficits caused by aging.
B) are remarkably plastic, quickly repairing damaged tissue.
C) do not appear to have the power of regeneration.
D) regenerate quickly in adults but not in children.

Answer 1

do not appear to have the power of regeneration.

Question 2

Jerry had a stroke several months ago. Among the changes his family has noticed is that he now blows up over little things, cries over minor problems, and laughs at anything, no matter how silly. Jerry is showing ________

A) focal brain damage.
B) impairment of receptive and expressive communication.
C) impairment of emotional modulation.
D) affective blunting.

Answer 2

impairment of emotional modulation.

Question 3

Extensive bilateral damage to the temporal lobes of the brain is most likely to result in ________

A) the inability to recognize familiar faces.
B) visual-motor coordination impairment.
C) the inability to retrieve long-term memories.
D) the inability to store new memories.

Answer 3

the inability to store new memories.

Question 4

Someone with focal brain damage in his or her left parietal lobe will likely have ________

A) difficulty with visual-motor coordination.
B) difficulty processing language.
C) problems with nonverbal reasoning.
D) problems with spatial relationships.

Question 5

After a traumatic brain injury caused by a fall or an accident, about 18 percent of patients ________

A) make a full recovery.
B) seem indifferent to people or events.
C) attempt suicide.
D) manifest a marked lowering of personal standards of hygiene.

Question 6

What diagnosis is used for patients thought to have Alzheimer's disease?

A) Major neurocognitive disorder associated with Alzheimer's disease
B) Minor neurocognitive disorder associated with Alzheimer's disease
C) Dementia praecox
D) Mild neurocognitive dementia, Alzheimer's type

Question 7

Which of the following statements about the brain is true?

A) The skull could support as much as 3 tons of weight.
B) The brain is protected only by the skull.
C) The human brain typically weights about 5 pounds.
D) Brain damage rarely results in cognitive changes.

Question 8

Mild to moderate diffuse brain damage is most likely to result in ________

A) mood disturbance.
B) memory problems.
C) visual distortions.
D) altered sleep patterns.

Question 9

Which of the following is not one of the subsections within the DSM-5's new category of Neurocognitive Disorders?

A) Delirium
B) Major neurocognitive disorder
C) Minor neurocognitive disorder
D) Minor cognitive impairment

Question 10

The psychopathological symptoms that sometimes accompany brain impairment ________

A) are not always predictable.
B) don't affect cognitive function.
C) fall into a small number of very specific types.
D) indistinguishable from mood disorders.

Question 11

Major brain damage ________

A) causes major changes.
B) causes minor changes.
C) causes changes to personality only.
D) sometimes causes minor changes and sometimes major ones.

Question 12

Following her stroke, Charlotte no longer cares whether her grandchildren come to visit or not. This would be described as what kind of impairment?

A) Apathy or emotional blunting
B) Impairment of emotional control or modulation
C) Impairment of control over matters of propriety and ethical conduct
D) Impairment of receptive and expressive communication

Question 13

Most strokes are _______, the other 13 percent are _____. Both types can be disastrous.

A) ischemic, hemorrhagic
B) hemorrhagic, ischemic
C) caused by traumatic brain injury, of unknown etiology
D) of unknown etiology, caused by a blood clot.

Question 14

The degree of mental impairment following a head injury is related to ________

A) the age of the patient.
B) the degree of damage to the brain.
C) chemical imbalances in the brain.
D) which drugs a person was taking.

Question 15

In the DSM-5, the disorders previously known as "Delirium, Dementia, and Amnestic and Other Cognitive Disorders" are part of a newly proposed category called _____________.

A) Delirium and Dementia Disorders
B) Cognitive Disorders
C) Neurological Disorders
D) Neurocognitive Disorders

Question 16

It is important that mental health professionals have an understanding of the effects of brain damage because ________

A) most of their patients will have brain damage.
B) brain damage can result in symptoms that look like psychological conditions.
C) many of the medications used to treat psychopathology cause brain damage.
D) the effects of most forms of brain damage are reversible.

Question 17

An individual with neuropsychological damage ________

A) will almost always evidence moderate to severe psychopathology, including hallucinations and delusions.
B) may or may not have psychopathological symptoms.
C) usually manifests symptoms of psychopathology that are the opposite of the person's predisorder personality.
D) will develop psychopathological symptoms only when areas of the frontal cortex have been damaged.

Question 18

Which of the following could occur as a result of exposure to formaldehyde?

A) High blood pressure
B) Epilepsy
C) Asthma
D) Attention deficits

Question 19

Which of the following is a good example of a person with an impairment of orientation?

A) Joe, who once thought he was a homosexual but now thinks he is heterosexual.
B) Karla, who cannot accurately draw objects or copy designs on a piece of paper.
C) Lois, who must constantly be reminded of what to do next when she is getting dressed.
D) Marlon, who is not sure where he is or what month or year it is.

Question 20

When Mrs. Thomason experienced a stroke, a small area of her brain was deprived of oxygenated blood. This resulted in a ________

A) diffuse brain injury.
B) focal brain lesion.
C) psychopathological dementia.
D) diffuse lesion.

Question 21

The most common cause of delirium is ________

A) disease.
B) drugs.
C) electrolytic imbalance.
D) stroke.

Question 22

The text presented a case study of a retired man who was hospitalized by his wife and son. He was typical of many patients in that ________

A) he had become violent toward family members.
B) he never lost his orientation for time and person.
C) he had good memory for remote events but no memory for events that just occurred.
D) he became hypochondriacal and performed repetitive, meaningless rituals.

Question 23

In order for a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease to be definitively made ________

A) brain tissue must be examined.
B) symptoms must be present for over two years.
C) the afflicted individual must exhibit delirium at least 50 percent of the time.
D) plaques and tangles must be visible on an MRI.

Question 24

The particular disease that most commonly causes dementia is ________

A) AIDS
B) Alzheimer's disease.
C) Huntington's disease.
D) Parkinson's disease.

Question 25

Delirium is ________

A) usually permanent.
B) usually reversible.
C) rarely a medical emergency.
D) characterized by a decline from a previously attained level of functioning.

Question 26

Which of the following is the most typical example of the onset of Alzheimer's disease?

A) After Bill's death, Carol was never the same again.
B) When Yula's dementia became obvious, her family looked back on her behavior and realized that she had been exhibiting memory deficits.
C) Rachel has always suffered from mood disorders. When she descended into a state of dementia after her last manic episode, no one was surprised.
D) Christa began showing signs of forgetfulness after her last surgery.

Question 27

Which of the following disorders affects men and women in equal numbers and is characterized by a chronic, progressive chorea (involuntary and irregular movements that flow randomly from one area of the body to another)?

A) AIDS
B) Alzheimer's disease
C) Huntington's disease
D) Parkinson's disease

Question 28

It is suspected that June is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Which of the following symptoms would suggest this?

A) Persistent delusions
B) Loss of contact with reality
C) Difficulty recalling recent events
D) Excessive neatness and an intrusive interest in others' affairs

Question 29

Delirium is thought to be more common in the elderly due to ________

A) their weakened immune systems.
B) their relative lack of physical and mental activity.
C) chemical imbalances.
D) normal age-related changes in the brain.

Question 30

The most common cause of major neurocognitive disorder is ________

A) intracranial tumors.
B) severe or repeated head injury.
C) Alzheimer's disease.
D) drug toxicity.

Question 31

Which of the following is most likely to be characteristic of a physically aggressive Alzheimer's disease patient?

A) History of violent behavior
B) Multiple psychotic breaks
C) Delirium tremens
D) Delusions

Question 32

Which of the following disorders is characterized by motor symptoms such as resting tremors or rigid movements?

A) AIDS
B) Alzheimer's disease
C) Huntington's disease
D) Parkinson's disease

Question 33

What types of delusions are most commonly seen in Alzheimer's disease?

A) Delusions of grandeur
B) Delusions of persecution
C) Delusions of reference
D) Delusions of bodily changes

Question 34

In older people, the onset of cognitive deficits is typically________.

A) gradual
B) rapid
C) marked by hallucinations
D) marked by fluctuations in intensity

Question 35

Which of the following statements about Alzheimer's disease is true?

A) Multiple cognitive deficits exist, not just problems with memory.
B) Changes in mood are rarely seen.
C) Deterioration into a vegetative state occurs in two years or less.
D) The first symptoms involve delusions and assaultive behavior.

Question 36

Delirium ________

A) develops slowly.
B) affects awareness.
C) occurs in most elderly people.
D) reflects severe brain damage.

Question 37

The first sign of neurocognitive disorder in older adults is typically ________

A) lack of alertness.
B) lack of attention to the environment.
C) motor control problems.
D) memory problems.

Question 38

Suddenly, Lavinia is unable to remember what she was doing. She screams that bugs are crawling all over the walls. She begins to wildly swing her arms around. She can't fall asleep at night, but finally falls asleep at daylight. Lavinia most likely has ________

A) dementia.
B) focal brain damage.
C) depression.
D) delirium.

Question 39

You are convinced that your grandmother has Alzheimer's. How can your doctor confirm your diagnosis?

A) By conducting a blood test
B) By determining if she has enlarged ventricles that indicate brain atrophy
C) By looking to see if she has a decrease in frontal lobe function
D) By ruling out all other potential causes of dementia

Question 40

What is an important reason that DSM-5 has replaced the broad diagnostic category of "dementia" with the term "major neurocognitive disorder"?

A) "Dementia" is not a very appropriate term for younger adults who have cognitive problems
B) "Dementia" is not a very appropriate term for elderly people with cognitive problems
C) The AARP filed a lawsuit against the American Psychological Association because of the stigma associated with the word "dementia."
D) Only Alzheimer's disease can be considered "dementia," therefore the term was redundant.

Question 41

Research suggests that the use of ________ may decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

A) aspirin
B) codeine
C) ibuprofen
D) valium

Question 42

Which of the following is associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease?

A) Having a family history of vascular dementia
B) Giving birth to a child with Down syndrome before age 35
C) Living in a non-Western developed nation
D) Excessive use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Question 43

The neuropathology of ________ involves various changes in the brain, among them generalized atrophy, edema (swelling), inflammation, and patches of demyelination.

A) early-onset Alzheimer's disease
B) late-onset Alzheimer's disease.
C) vascular dementia
D) HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment

Question 44

One important difference between early-onset Alzheimer's disease and late-onset Alzheimer's disease is that in early-onset Alzheimer's ________

A) the condition is marked by cognitive decline.
B) only elderly people with Down syndrome are affected.
C) cognitive decline is quite slow.
D) cognitive decline is often rapid.

Question 45

Which of the following was identified in the chapter as a way to preserve brain function as we age?

A) Vegan diet
B) Aspirin regimen
C) Exercise
D) Higher income

Question 46

In a normal brain, the protein called tau is ________

A) a sticky substance at the core of a plaque.
B) a neurotoxic substance that occurs in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.
C) acts like scaffolding, supporting a tube inside neurons and allowing them to conduct nerve impulses.
D) are misshapen and tangled, causing the neuron tube to collapse.

Question 47

Functional imaging techniques show that the ________ is less active in Alzheimer's patients but more active in people who are at genetically high risk for the disease.

A) parietal lobe
B) hippocampus
C) hypothalamus
D) frontal lobe

Question 48

Which of the following is a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease?

A) Being a woman
B) Having a family history of Parkinson's disease
C) Living in a non-Western developed nation
D) Being highly educated

Question 49

Consistent with its established role in memory, neurons in the ________ suffer much damage in Alzheimer's disease.

A) hippocampus
B) hypothalamus
C) thalamus
D) amygdala

Question 50

The first neurons to be affected in Alzheimer's disease are cells that release ________

A) serotonin.
B) dopamine.
C) beta amyloid.
D) acetylcholine.

Question 51

Which of the following is not one of the brain abnormalities characteristic of Alzheimer's disease first identified by Alois Alzheimer?

A) Amyloid plaques
B) Neurofibrillary tangles
C) Hydrocephaly
D) Atrophy

Question 52

What is the relationship between the HIV virus and brain damage?

A) The virus protects against Alzheimer's because patients die before developing age-related neurocognitive problems.
B) The virus causes brain damage both directly and indirectly.
C) The virus does not lead to brain damage, but antiretroviral therapy does.
D) Antiretroviral therapy only protects against brain damage if taken prior to contracting the HIV virus.

Question 53

What type of drug is most likely to be used to inhibit the breakdown of Ach in patients with Alzheimer's disease?

A) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories
B) Antidepressants
C) Antipsychotics
D) Cholinesterase inhibitors

Question 54

Research for which potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease had to be discontinued due to dangerous side effects?

A) Memantine, which may regulate activity of the neurotransmitter glutamate.
B) ACh inhibitors that improve cognitive functioning.
C) Donepezil placebo inhibitors
D) Vaccines that might clear away any accumulated plaques.

Question 55

The median time to death for a person diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease is ________ years from the time of first clinical contact.

A) 5.7
B) 13.2
C) 2.1
D) 19

Question 56

Which gene appears to play an important role in late-onset Alzheimer's disease?

A) APP
B) APOE
C) PS1
D) PS2

Question 57

Caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease ________

A) experience "social death."
B) are at high risk for depression.
C) show high levels of ApoE, even if they do not show any outward anxiety symptoms.
D) are likely to show signs of cognitive deterioration.

Question 58

Early-onset Alzheimer's disease differs from late-onset in that ________

A) it appears to be caused by rare genetic mutations.
B) symptoms invariably involve delusions and assaultive behavior.
C) genetics play little or no causal role.
D) environmental factors have no impact on the onset or the progression of the disorder.

Question 59

More than 20 new loci on the genome have been implicated in Alzheimer's disease, many of which seem to be involved in ________

A) growth
B) mood disorders
C) immune functioning
D) addiction

Question 60

It has been observed that if a woman gives birth to a child with Down syndrome before the age of 35, she has an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Which of the following best explains this observation?

A) The same gene underlies both Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease.
B) Women under 35 are not emotionally mature enough to manage a child with mental retardation.
C) Multiple copies of the APOE-4 allele increase the likelihood of both conditions.
D) A genetic mutation that increases susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease also increases the likelihood of passing on chromosomal abnormalities.

Question 61

When a closed-head injury occurs, ________

A) the damage is localized.
B) the damage results from the brain colliding with the skull.
C) post-trauma epilepsy is common.
D) the skull is bruised.

Question 62

The effects of head trauma on memory suggest that ________

A) short-term memory is not affected by physical trauma.
B) the process of memory consolidation can be interrupted.
C) semantic memory is usually affected when an injury is severe enough to produce a loss of consciousness.
D) rarely are episodic memories affected by head trauma.

Question 63

Brain damage is the root cause of Neurocognitive Disorder Characterized by Profound Memory Impairment except in the case of ________, which is sometimes reversible with vitamin therapy.

A) Korsakoff's syndrome
B) Alzheimer's disease
C) vascular dementia
D) AIDS-related dementia

Question 64

After the car accident, Sherry was unable to remember what happened from the time of the crash until the following morning. Sherry appears to have experienced ________

A) amnestic disorder.
B) anterograde amnesia.
C) retrograde amnesia.
D) dissociative fugue.

Question 65

What is affected in amnestic disorder?

A) The ability to recall something that happened seconds ago
B) The ability to recall something that happened minutes ago
C) The ability to recall something that happened hours ago
D) The ability to recall something that happened years ago

Question 66

After being hit on the head, Bob experienced some retrograde amnesia. Those who were there knew this because he ________

A) was unconscious.
B) had a concussion.
C) could no longer take on new information.
D) did not know what had happened.

Question 67

Vascular dementia ________

A) is a result of many small strokes.
B) is what was once called amnestic infarct dementia.
C) responds to the same treatments as Alzheimer's disease.
D) affects more women than men.

Question 68

How does vascular dementia differ from Alzheimer's disease?

A) It is not progressive.
B) It occurs at an earlier age.
C) The early clinical picture is more homogeneous than that seen in Alzheimer's disease.
D) Accompanying mood disorders are more common.

Question 69

The occurrence of which of the following after a head injury suggests a poor prognosis?

A) Concussion
B) Retrograde amnesia
C) Contusion
D) Anterograde amnesia

Question 70

The damage that might be caused to the brain by riding a violently fast roller coaster is consistent with ________

A) a closed-head injury.
B) a penetrating head injury.
C) vascular dementia.
D) a series of circumscribed cerebral infarcts.

Question 71

What neurocognitive disorder is frequently confused with Alzheimer's disease?

A) AIDS-related dementia
B) Multi-infarct dementia
C) Vascular dementia
D) Amnestic disorder

Question 72

Franklin is 72 years old. His daughter notes his failing memory and tells the doctor she thinks Franklin has Alzheimer's. The doctor notes Franklin's depressed mood and unsteadiness on his feet, and diagnoses Franklin with _________

A) amnestic disorder.
B) late-onset Alzheimer's disease.
C) early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
D) vascular dementia.

Question 73

Procedural memory often is intact in patients with amnestic disorder. This means ________

A) they will eventually recover their short-term memory.
B) they will eventually recover their memory for the most important personal events in their lives, but will still have problems with short-term memory.
C) they can still learn routines and skills and may be able to be taught tasks that will enable them to work.
D) the memory pathways in the brain are still intact, so patients can be retaught how to remember things.

Question 74

An individual with amnestic disorder is likely to be unable to ____________.

A) tell you whom he or she met 5 minutes ago
B) describe the house he or she grew up in
C) tell you his or her address
D) demonstrate how to ride a bike

Question 75

Vascular dementia is less common than Alzheimer's disease because ________

A) it develops later in life.
B) the patient is vulnerable to sudden death from stroke or cardiovascular disease.
C) it can be cured.
D) spontaneous remission is common.

Question 76

Severe head injury resulting in unconsciousness often causes a person to experience ________, the inability to recall events that happened right before the injury.

A) amnestic dementia
B) anterograde amnesia
C) retrograde amnesia
D) psychogenic amnesia

Question 77

Which type of athlete has the greatest risk of experiencing brain damage because of a concussion?

A) An 8-year-old boy playing football
B) A 27-year-old woman swimmer
C) A 19-year-old boy playing soccer
D) A 14-year-old girl doing gymnastics

Question 78

Of the choices listed below, the most common cause of traumatic brain injury is ________

A) stroke.
B) falls.
C) drug abuse.
D) Alzheimer's disease.

Question 79

A bullet is most likely to cause ________

A) a closed-head injury.
B) a penetrating head injury.
C) amnestic disorder.
D) multi-infarct dementia.

Question 80

What has greatly reduced the number of HIV patients with neurocognitive deficits?

A) APOE-E4 allele therapy
B) ACh inhibitors
C) Antiretroviral drug therapy
D) Better support systems