Mental Status Examination Flashcards

Flashcards to review key concepts from the Mental Status Examination lecture notes.

What is mental status?

A person’s emotional (feeling) and cognitive (knowing) function.

What are the components evaluated when assessing mental status?

Consciousness, language, mood and affect, orientation, attention, memory, abstract reasoning, thought process, thought content, and perceptions.

When are mental disorders apparent?

When a person’s response is much greater than the expected reaction to a traumatic life event.

What is the purpose of the full mental status examination?

Determine mental health strengths and coping skills and to screen for dysfunction.

What factors should be considered in every mental status examination?

Physical illnesses, current medications, educational and behavioral level, and responses to personal history questions.

What are the four main components of the mental status assessment?

Appearance, behavior, cognition, and thought processes (A, B, C, T).

What observations are made to assess appearance?

Posture, body movements, dress, grooming, hygiene, and pupils.

What is evaluated to assess behavior?

Level of consciousness, facial expression, speech and articulation, and mood and affect.

What cognitive functions are checked?

Orientation, attention span, recent memory, remote memory, and new learning.

What is tested for patients with aphasia?

Word comprehension, reading, and writing.

What is evaluated to assess thought processes?

Thought processes, thought content, and perceptions. Also screen for anxiety disorders, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

How is judgment assessed?

The person’s rationales for actions related to health care should be realistic.

What is the Mini-Mental State Examination?

A simplified scored assessment of cognitive functions—not mood or thought processes.

What does the mental status assessment focus on for pediatric patients?

The child’s behavioral, cognitive, and psychosocial development in coping with his or her environment.

How can the A, B, C, T guidelines used for adults be used for children and adolescents?

Taking into consideration developmental milestones.

How does aging affect mental status parameters?

A slower response time may affect new learning.

What age-related physical changes may affect an older adult’s mental status?

Vision or hearing deficits.

What is the Glasgow Coma Scale?

A useful quantitative tool for testing consciousness in aging people.

What is the Mini-Cog?

A reliable, quick instrument to screen for cognitive impairment in otherwise healthy older adults.

What is aphasia?

A language disorder affecting communication ability.

Alert

A state of being fully awake and aware, capable of responding to stimuli.

Lethargic (Somnolent)

A state of drowsiness or reduced alertness where the individual may respond slowly to stimuli and appear sluggish.

Obtunded

A state of reduced alertness and responsiveness, where the individual can be awakened only with difficulty and may respond slowly to stimuli.

Stupor or Semicoma

A state of near-unconsciousness where the individual is unresponsive to stimuli and can only be aroused with vigorous stimuli.

Coma

A state of deep unresponsiveness where the individual cannot be awakened, does not respond to stimuli, and lacks voluntary actions.

Acute Confusional State (Delirium)

A sudden onset of confusion characterized by disturbances in attention, cognition, and perception, often reversible and usually caused by underlying medical conditions.

Flat Affect (Blunted Affect)

A noticeable reduction in emotional expression, where the individual shows little to no facial expressions or vocal tone, often seen in various psychiatric conditions.

Depression

A mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in daily activities.

Depersonalization (Lack of ego boundaries)

A dissociative symptom where an individual feels detached from their thoughts, body, or surroundings, often resulting in feelings of unreality.

Elation

A state of intense or heightened happiness and excitement, often resulting in overconfidence and can be seen in mood disorders such as bipolar disorder.

Euphoria

An intense state of happiness or well-being, often exceeding normal levels of joy and may occur in various psychological conditions.

Anxiety

A feeling of worry, nervousness, or fear about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. It can manifest physically and affect daily functioning.

Fear

An emotional response to perceived danger or threat, characterized by feelings of anxiety, apprehension, and a heightened state of alertness.

Irritation

A state of discomfort or annoyance, often resulting from frustration or distress.

Rage

An intense and uncontrolled feeling of anger that can lead to aggressive behavior and emotional outbursts.

Ambivalence

A psychological state in which a person experiences mixed or contradictory feelings about a particular person, object, or situation, leading to indecision or conflict.

Lability

A fluctuation in emotions, where the individual experiences rapid and extreme changes in mood, often seen in affective disorders.

Inappropriate Affect

a person's emotional response that is not suitable for the context or situation, often seen in various psychiatric conditions.