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Psychiatry Flashcards

7 cards from real SPEX practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. A 72-year-old man develops acute confusion, visual hallucinations, and fluctuating level of consciousness 2 days after hip surgery. He has no prior psychiatric history. What is the most likely diagnosis?

    Answer: Delirium

    Postoperative delirium is common in elderly patients and is characterized by acute onset, fluctuating course, and often visual hallucinations.

  2. Which of the following best describes the mechanism of action of lithium in bipolar disorder?

    Answer: Inhibition of inositol monophosphatase disrupting PI signaling

    Lithium inhibits inositol monophosphatase and GSK-3β, disrupting phosphatidylinositol signaling cascades implicated in its mood-stabilizing effects.

  3. A 19-year-old college student reports persistent difficulty sustaining attention, losing items, and being easily distracted since childhood. He functions adequately but struggles academically. Stimulant medication is prescribed. What is the drug class?

    Answer: Central nervous system stimulants

    CNS stimulants (amphetamine salts, methylphenidate) are first-line pharmacotherapy for ADHD, increasing dopamine and norepinephrine in prefrontal circuits.

  4. Which therapy is the first-line evidence-based treatment for PTSD according to VA/DoD and APA guidelines?

    Answer: Prolonged Exposure or Cognitive Processing Therapy

    Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) are the most strongly evidence-based, guideline-recommended treatments for PTSD.

  5. A patient with bipolar I disorder is started on valproate. Which laboratory value requires monitoring due to a potentially fatal adverse effect?

    Answer: Liver function tests

    Valproate carries a black-box warning for hepatotoxicity; LFTs must be monitored regularly, especially in the first 6 months of treatment.

  6. A 45-year-old man presents with 6 months of persistent worry about multiple life domains that he cannot control, accompanied by muscle tension, fatigue, and poor sleep. The most appropriate diagnosis is:

    Answer: Generalized anxiety disorder

    GAD requires at least 6 months of excessive, uncontrollable worry about multiple topics with associated physical symptoms such as muscle tension and fatigue.

  7. Which of the following is a contraindication to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)?

    Answer: Recent intracranial mass with elevated ICP

    Elevated intracranial pressure from an intracranial mass is the primary contraindication to ECT because seizure-induced ICP spikes can cause herniation.