MRCPsych – Psychopathology Exam
Questions & Answers 2024
Psychopathology is the systematic study of abnormal experience, cognition, and behaviour. It consists of
two major divisions - - ANSWER-1. explanatory psychopathology, which attempts to explain causative
factors through theory
generation or experimental construction; hence explanatory psychopathology includes
experimental (e.g. behaviourism) and theoretical (e.g. psychoanalysis) subtypes;
2. descriptive psychopathology, which precisely describes and categorizes abnormal experiences
as reported by the patient and observed from his behaviour.
Negativism in schizophrenia - ANSWER-Patients with negativism resist or oppose all passive movements
attempted by the examiner.
A mild form of such resistance is called Gegenhalten or opposition.
In extreme forms it is called negativism, where apparently motiveless resistance to all interference is
found.
catatonic symptom of blocking or obstruction (or Sperrung) - ANSWER-phenomenon similar to thought
blocking but occurs while carrying out motor acts.
A patient with obstruction suddenly stops a motor act for no reason, without any warning.This may be
demonstrated by asking the patient to move a part of his body; the movement is generally well begun,
but then stops halfway without any indication.
ambitendency - ANSWER-In ambitendency the patient makes a series of tentative, opposing, alternate
movements that do not reach the intended goal.
,This becomes evident when the patient is asked to carry out a motor act, for example asking the patient
to show his tongue will elicit repeated protrusion and retraction of tongue as if the patient is undecided
about showing his tongue.
According to Jaspers, the most important component of psychiatric assessment is - ANSWER-empathy
There are two essential components of descriptive psychopathology: (1) the observation of behaviour;
and (2) the empathic assessment of subjective experience
The latter was referred to by Jaspers as phenomenology and implies that the patient is able to introspect
and describe his internal experiences and the doctor recognizes and understands the description.
The concept of symptoms assessed by descriptive psychopathology has both form and content as its
components. - ANSWER-Form is the technical term (e.g. phobia, obsession, or delusion) used to identify
a recurring pattern of experience or behaviour and so helps in diagnosing the psychiatric disorder.
Content is essential for decisions about the management of the patient and family (suicidal content,
admission, etc.), and is an important aspect of the severity of the disorder.
A patient is experiencing increased brightness and acuity of visual objects. - ANSWER-Stimulus may be
perceived as corresponding object but not as accurate as the real object. This is a perceptual error
(sensory distortion), and can be associated with changes in physical properties, for example size, shape,
intensity, and colour.
In depression and hypoactive delirium there is dulled perception.
Intense perceptions can occur in mania, hyperactive delirium, and drug-induced states (hallucinogens).
Hyperacusis is especially seen in migraine and alcohol hangover.
Dysmegalopsia - ANSWER-perceptual error associated with changes in shape of objects, especially with
loss of symmetry, is called dysmegalopsia.
The objects can shrink in size (micropsia) or enlarge (macropsia).
, These are usually organic and could be related to ictal (parietal) or ocular pathology (accommodation
errors - paralysed accommodation can cause micropsia).
They are also rarely seen in acute schizophrenia.
Hallucinogens (e.g. mescaline) can also change the colour of perceived objects or make components of
an object (e.g. body parts) be seen detached in space
There are three major types of illusions: - ANSWER-in affect illusion the prevailing emotional state leads
to misperceptions, for example a depressed patient reading 'deed' as 'dead', a boy frightened of the dark
seeing monsters from innocuous shadows.
Pareidolia refers to perceiving formed objects from AMBIGUOUS stimuli, for example seeing cars in the
clouds. It is common in delirium, especially in children.They are often playful, under voluntary control -
not characteristic of any psychotic illness. It is coloured by prevailing emotion and not entirely due to
inattention or affective change; fantasy and imagery play a part in addition to actual sense perception.
On paying extra effort the object intensifies and does not disappear.
Completion illusion is due to inattention; stimulus that does not form a complete object might be
perceived to be complete, for example CCOK is read as COOK. Eidetic imagery is considered to be a
special ability of memory wherein visual images are drawn from memory accurately, at will and
described as if being perceived currently.This is not a perceptual distortion but closely linked to mental
imagery and it is often noted in children.
Eidetic imagery - ANSWER-Eidetic imagery is considered to be a special ability of memory wherein visual
images are drawn from memory accurately, at will and described as if being perceived currently.This is
not a perceptual distortion but closely linked to mental imagery and it is often noted in children.
Hallucinations vs. pseudohallucinations - ANSWER-Hallucinations take place at the same time and in the
same space as other perceptions, for example 'an angel is standing in the corner of my room'.
This is different from fantasy or imagery which takes place in a subjective space.
They are experienced as sensations - not as thoughts - in contrast to obsessional images.
Questions & Answers 2024
Psychopathology is the systematic study of abnormal experience, cognition, and behaviour. It consists of
two major divisions - - ANSWER-1. explanatory psychopathology, which attempts to explain causative
factors through theory
generation or experimental construction; hence explanatory psychopathology includes
experimental (e.g. behaviourism) and theoretical (e.g. psychoanalysis) subtypes;
2. descriptive psychopathology, which precisely describes and categorizes abnormal experiences
as reported by the patient and observed from his behaviour.
Negativism in schizophrenia - ANSWER-Patients with negativism resist or oppose all passive movements
attempted by the examiner.
A mild form of such resistance is called Gegenhalten or opposition.
In extreme forms it is called negativism, where apparently motiveless resistance to all interference is
found.
catatonic symptom of blocking or obstruction (or Sperrung) - ANSWER-phenomenon similar to thought
blocking but occurs while carrying out motor acts.
A patient with obstruction suddenly stops a motor act for no reason, without any warning.This may be
demonstrated by asking the patient to move a part of his body; the movement is generally well begun,
but then stops halfway without any indication.
ambitendency - ANSWER-In ambitendency the patient makes a series of tentative, opposing, alternate
movements that do not reach the intended goal.
,This becomes evident when the patient is asked to carry out a motor act, for example asking the patient
to show his tongue will elicit repeated protrusion and retraction of tongue as if the patient is undecided
about showing his tongue.
According to Jaspers, the most important component of psychiatric assessment is - ANSWER-empathy
There are two essential components of descriptive psychopathology: (1) the observation of behaviour;
and (2) the empathic assessment of subjective experience
The latter was referred to by Jaspers as phenomenology and implies that the patient is able to introspect
and describe his internal experiences and the doctor recognizes and understands the description.
The concept of symptoms assessed by descriptive psychopathology has both form and content as its
components. - ANSWER-Form is the technical term (e.g. phobia, obsession, or delusion) used to identify
a recurring pattern of experience or behaviour and so helps in diagnosing the psychiatric disorder.
Content is essential for decisions about the management of the patient and family (suicidal content,
admission, etc.), and is an important aspect of the severity of the disorder.
A patient is experiencing increased brightness and acuity of visual objects. - ANSWER-Stimulus may be
perceived as corresponding object but not as accurate as the real object. This is a perceptual error
(sensory distortion), and can be associated with changes in physical properties, for example size, shape,
intensity, and colour.
In depression and hypoactive delirium there is dulled perception.
Intense perceptions can occur in mania, hyperactive delirium, and drug-induced states (hallucinogens).
Hyperacusis is especially seen in migraine and alcohol hangover.
Dysmegalopsia - ANSWER-perceptual error associated with changes in shape of objects, especially with
loss of symmetry, is called dysmegalopsia.
The objects can shrink in size (micropsia) or enlarge (macropsia).
, These are usually organic and could be related to ictal (parietal) or ocular pathology (accommodation
errors - paralysed accommodation can cause micropsia).
They are also rarely seen in acute schizophrenia.
Hallucinogens (e.g. mescaline) can also change the colour of perceived objects or make components of
an object (e.g. body parts) be seen detached in space
There are three major types of illusions: - ANSWER-in affect illusion the prevailing emotional state leads
to misperceptions, for example a depressed patient reading 'deed' as 'dead', a boy frightened of the dark
seeing monsters from innocuous shadows.
Pareidolia refers to perceiving formed objects from AMBIGUOUS stimuli, for example seeing cars in the
clouds. It is common in delirium, especially in children.They are often playful, under voluntary control -
not characteristic of any psychotic illness. It is coloured by prevailing emotion and not entirely due to
inattention or affective change; fantasy and imagery play a part in addition to actual sense perception.
On paying extra effort the object intensifies and does not disappear.
Completion illusion is due to inattention; stimulus that does not form a complete object might be
perceived to be complete, for example CCOK is read as COOK. Eidetic imagery is considered to be a
special ability of memory wherein visual images are drawn from memory accurately, at will and
described as if being perceived currently.This is not a perceptual distortion but closely linked to mental
imagery and it is often noted in children.
Eidetic imagery - ANSWER-Eidetic imagery is considered to be a special ability of memory wherein visual
images are drawn from memory accurately, at will and described as if being perceived currently.This is
not a perceptual distortion but closely linked to mental imagery and it is often noted in children.
Hallucinations vs. pseudohallucinations - ANSWER-Hallucinations take place at the same time and in the
same space as other perceptions, for example 'an angel is standing in the corner of my room'.
This is different from fantasy or imagery which takes place in a subjective space.
They are experienced as sensations - not as thoughts - in contrast to obsessional images.
