Deck 5: Mental Status

Question 1

The ability for abstract thinking normally develops

A)in utero.
B)during infancy.
C)during early childhood.
D)during adolescence.
E)during adulthood.

Answer 1

during adolescence.

Question 2

Which type of hallucination is usually associated with alcohol withdrawal?

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

Answer 2

Tactile

Question 3

While interviewing a 70-year-old female clinic patient, she tells you that she takes ginkgo biloba and St. John's wort. You make a short note to check for results of the

A)Denver II.
B)Mini-Mental State Examination.
C)Glasgow Coma Scale.
D)Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test.
E)CAGE Questionnaire.

Answer 3

Mini-Mental State Examination.

Question 4

Assessing orientation to person, place, and time helps determine

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

Question 5

Flight of ideas and loosening of associations are associated with

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

Question 6

Which statement is true regarding mental status changes in older adults?

A)There is usually a decline in general intelligence in older adults.
B)Vocabulary and inventories of information show a marked decrease in older adults.
C)Remote memory decline frequently causes problems in processing information.
D)Recent memory is usually more efficient than remote memory.
E)There is an increased risk of delirium with acute illness or metabolic derangement.

Question 7

Impairment of arithmetic skills is often caused by

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

Question 8

A state of impaired cognition, consciousness, mood and behavioral dysfunction of acute onset refers to

A)lethargy.
B)delirium.
C)stupor.
D)coma.
E)confusion.

Question 9

Slumped posture and a lack of facial expression may indicate depression or

A)anxiety.
B)Parkinson disease.
C)loss of abstract reasoning.
D)attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
E)hyperthyroidism.

Question 10

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

A)two to three
B)five to eight
C)10 to 15
D)15 to 20
E)more than 20

Question 11

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

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

Question 12

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

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

Question 13

Peripheral neuropathy is most likely to be manifested by

A)impaired memory.
B)impaired abstract reasoning.
C)impaired writing ability.
D)hallucinations.
E)difficulties with analogies.

Question 14

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)precentral gyrus.
E)occipital lobe.

Question 15

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

A)Repeated failure to complete work obligations
B)Inadequate interpretation of a metaphor
C)Going to church three times a week
D)Planning for retirement in 20 years
E)Forgetting family members' birthdays

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
E)Impaired judgment

Question 17

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.
E)speech and language skills.

Question 18

The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)

A)may be used to estimate cognitive changes quantitatively.
B)may be used to estimate personality disorders qualitatively.
C)scores do not vary with regard to age or education.
D)will determine the cause of memory loss.
E)is a good tool to diagnose neurologic disorders.

Question 19

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.
E)delirium.

Question 20

Recent memory may be tested by

A)asking the patient to do simple arithmetic.
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 past events, such as his or her mother's maiden name.
E)asking the patient to name the past four presidents.

Question 21

Which of the following is usually related to structural diseases of the brain?

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

Question 22

When the Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test is administered to a child, the evaluator principally observes the

A)presence and form of body parts.
B)gender and race of the person drawn.
C)approximate age and posture of the person drawn.
D)length of time needed to draw a stick man.
E)facial expressions of the child.

Question 23

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.
E)anxiety disorder.

Question 24

All of the following are usually associated with a neurochemical imbalance except

A)schizophrenia.
B)mania.
C)anxiety disorder.
D)autism.
E)depression.

Question 25

Which condition is considered progressive rather than reversible?

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

Question 26

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

A)3 days
B)2 weeks
C)1 month
D)3 months
E)6 months

Question 27

The Mini-Mental State Examination should be administered for a patient who

A)gets lost in her or his neighborhood.
B)sleeps an excessive amount of time.
C)has repetitive ritualistic behaviors.
D)uses illegal hallucinogenic drugs.
E)has a fear of leaving the house.

Question 28

While interviewing a patient, you ask him to explain "a stitch in time saves nine" to assess

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

Question 29

The Glasgow Coma Scale is used to

A)determine the cause of decreased consciousness.
B)assess a patient's level of abstract reasoning.
C)quantify consciousness.
D)predict response to stimulant medications.
E)diagnose disorders that alter level of consciousness.

Question 30

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.
E)schizophrenia.

Question 31

An older adult is administered the Set Test and scores a 14. The nurse interprets this score as indicative of

A)depression.
B)cognitive impairment.
C)delirium.
D)schizophrenia.
E)dementia.

Question 32

The Denver II is a tool used to determine

A)a child's IQ.
B)the child's mood.
C)whether a child is educable.
D)whether a child is developing as expected.
E)whether an adolescent is a suicide risk.

Question 33

Which statement is true in regard to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (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.
E)It usually first manifests with decorticate posturing.

Question 34

Facial muscle or tongue weakness may result in

A)aphasia.
B)word salad.
C)neologisms.
D)echolalia.
E)impaired comprehension.