PRITE 2025 LATEST UPDATE!!
According to Margret Mahlers developmental theory, which of the following indicates a
successful resolution of the process of separation-individuation in a toddler?
a) Trust
b) Intimacy
c) Object constancy
d) Normal symbiosis
e) Secondary individuation - ANSWER C- Object constancy
Which of the following neurodevelopmental processes predominantly occurs during
adolescence and young adulthood?
a) Synaptic pruning
b) Decreased myelination
c) Ventricular enlargement
d) Prefrontal cortex reduction
e) Growth of gray matter volumes - ANSWER A- Synaptic pruning
Poverty of speech - ANSWER Brief, one-word responses and rare spontaneous
elaboration
Over the last 6 months a 10 YO has been exhibiting anger and temper tantrums. The
child has been deliberately annoying others and blaming this misbehavior on
classmates. This has let to multiple disciplinary actions at school. What is the most likely
diagnosis?
a) Conduct disorder
b) Oppositional defiant disorder
c) Intermittent explosive disorder
d) ADHD
e) Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder - ANSWER B- Oppositional defiant
In the 1970's, evidence for the role of serotonin in depression and a desire to develop
drugs with a better side effect profile than the tricyclics and monoamine oxidase
inhibitors, led to the development of which of the following medications?
a) Buspirone
b) Bupropion
c) Fluoxetine
d) Lamotrigine
e) Clomipramine - ANSWER C- Fluoxetine
A 72 yo is seen for a 6 month history of rapid dementia, gait unsteadiness, and jerky
movements. EEG demonstrates a periodic discharge with sharp waves occurring every
one second. What is the most likely diagnosis?
a) Prion disease
b) Status epilepticus
,c) Alcohol withdrawal
d) Herpes encephalitis
e) Hepatic encephalopathy - ANSWER A- Prion disease
Which of the following types of research studies is most likely to result in external
validity?
a) Efficacy trials
b) Case-control study
c) Effectiveness trials
d) Cross-sectional study
e) Randomized controlled trials - ANSWER C- effectiveness trials
Which antidepressant has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of akathisia?
a) Bupropion
b) Fluoxetine
c) Mirtazapine
d) Venlafaxine
e) Desipramine - ANSWER C- Mirtazapine
Lesions to the orbitofrontal-subcortical circuit produce which of the following behaviors?
a) Placidity and apathy
b) Diminished libido
c) Disinhibition impulsivity and tactlessness
d) Hypergraphia, circumstantiality, and hypersexuality
e) Hyperreligiosity - ANSWER C- disinhibition impulsivity and tactlessness
Which of the following connects the frontal and temporal lobes?
a) Cingulum
b) External capsule
c) Arcuate fasciculus
d) Inferior longitudinal fasciculus
e) Superior longitudinal fasciculus - ANSWER C- arcuate fasciculus
A 38 yo with a long history of social anxiety and treatment with clonazepam is brought
to the ER disoriented and confused. Neurological exam is notable for dyskinesias of the
upper extremities. Which of the following, if taken in conjunction with the currently
prescribed medication, is most likely to cause these symptoms?
a) Kava
b) Ginko
c) Ginseng
d) Yohimbine
e) St. John's wort - ANSWER A- Kava
A 65 yo is prescribed sertraline for depression and within weeks develops waxing and
waning impairment of alertness, attention, and memory. Vital signs and PE are WNL.
,Which of the following tests would be most helpful in clarifying the etiology of the
change in the pts mental status?
a) Serum electrolytes
b) Sertraline plasma level
c) Electrocardiogram
d) CBC
e) Dexamethasone suppression test - ANSWER A- serum electrolytes
The primary MOA of benzodiazepines at GABA-A receptors is to increase which of the
following?
a) Duration of Cl channel opening
b) Affinities of the binding sites for GABA
c) Response of the tonic GABA activated currents
d) Long open state, and reduces the short open state
e) Frequency of channel opening in response to GABA - ANSWER E- Frequency of
channel opening in response to GABA
Which of the following is seen most frequently as a comorbid condition in children with
autism spectrum disorder?
a) Selective mutism
b) Intellectual disability
c) Early-onset schizophrenia
d) OCD
e) ADHD - ANSWER B- intellectual disability
Prenatal infection with which of the following has the most evidence for the risk of
developing schizophrenia?
a) Rubella
b) Borna Disease
c) EBV
d) Influenza
e) RSV - ANSWER D- Influenza
Which of the following variants is most commonly identified in the human genome?
a) Indels
b) Simple tandem repeats
c) Copy number variations
d) Single nucleotide polymorphisms
e) Simple sequence length polymorphisms - ANSWER D- Single nucleotide
polymorphisms
The intensity of cognitive deficits associated with severe head trauma most closely
correlates with:
a) mechanism of injury
b) premorbid educational status
c) anatomic location of brain injury
, d) duration of post traumatic amnesia
e) GCS score at time of injury - ANSWER D duration of post traumatic amnesia
Which of the following medications can contribute to prolonged post-ictal delirium and
severe cognitive side effects during a course of ECT treatment?
a) Lithium
b) Clozapine
c) Clonazepam
d) Divalproic acid
e) Carbamazepine - ANSWER A- lithium
A 36 Yo is becoming increasingly more aggressive and has begun to develop writhing
movements of arms and legs. The patient's parent had similar symptoms before passing
away at a young age. Which of the following would be the most effective in treating the
abnormal movements?
a) Levodopa
b) Primidone
c) Pramipexole
d) Levetiracetam
e) Tetrabenazine - ANSWER E- tetrabenazine. Huntington's Disease, chorea.
Monoamine depleting drugs
Clozapine- also for psychosis
NMDA antagonist- amantadine
A patient with schizophrenia is newly initiated on clozapine therapy after failing two
other antipsychotic trials. The pts initial ANC is 2200/mm3. How frequently should the
psychiatrist order a CBC w/diff for this pt?
a) Daily
b) Three times weekly
c) Weekly
d) Every two weeks
e) Monthly - ANSWER C- weekly
Randomized controlled trials involving assertive community treatment have most
consistently shown improvements in:
a) substance use
b) arrests or jail time
c) psychiatric symptoms
d) medication adherence
e) psychiatric hospitalization - ANSWER E- psychiatric hospitalization
A pt is seen for evaluation of gait imbalance. The pt cannot discern the direction of toe
movement up or down. This finding on examination can be caused by a lesion in which
of the following tracts?
a) Tectospinal
b) Rubrospinal
According to Margret Mahlers developmental theory, which of the following indicates a
successful resolution of the process of separation-individuation in a toddler?
a) Trust
b) Intimacy
c) Object constancy
d) Normal symbiosis
e) Secondary individuation - ANSWER C- Object constancy
Which of the following neurodevelopmental processes predominantly occurs during
adolescence and young adulthood?
a) Synaptic pruning
b) Decreased myelination
c) Ventricular enlargement
d) Prefrontal cortex reduction
e) Growth of gray matter volumes - ANSWER A- Synaptic pruning
Poverty of speech - ANSWER Brief, one-word responses and rare spontaneous
elaboration
Over the last 6 months a 10 YO has been exhibiting anger and temper tantrums. The
child has been deliberately annoying others and blaming this misbehavior on
classmates. This has let to multiple disciplinary actions at school. What is the most likely
diagnosis?
a) Conduct disorder
b) Oppositional defiant disorder
c) Intermittent explosive disorder
d) ADHD
e) Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder - ANSWER B- Oppositional defiant
In the 1970's, evidence for the role of serotonin in depression and a desire to develop
drugs with a better side effect profile than the tricyclics and monoamine oxidase
inhibitors, led to the development of which of the following medications?
a) Buspirone
b) Bupropion
c) Fluoxetine
d) Lamotrigine
e) Clomipramine - ANSWER C- Fluoxetine
A 72 yo is seen for a 6 month history of rapid dementia, gait unsteadiness, and jerky
movements. EEG demonstrates a periodic discharge with sharp waves occurring every
one second. What is the most likely diagnosis?
a) Prion disease
b) Status epilepticus
,c) Alcohol withdrawal
d) Herpes encephalitis
e) Hepatic encephalopathy - ANSWER A- Prion disease
Which of the following types of research studies is most likely to result in external
validity?
a) Efficacy trials
b) Case-control study
c) Effectiveness trials
d) Cross-sectional study
e) Randomized controlled trials - ANSWER C- effectiveness trials
Which antidepressant has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of akathisia?
a) Bupropion
b) Fluoxetine
c) Mirtazapine
d) Venlafaxine
e) Desipramine - ANSWER C- Mirtazapine
Lesions to the orbitofrontal-subcortical circuit produce which of the following behaviors?
a) Placidity and apathy
b) Diminished libido
c) Disinhibition impulsivity and tactlessness
d) Hypergraphia, circumstantiality, and hypersexuality
e) Hyperreligiosity - ANSWER C- disinhibition impulsivity and tactlessness
Which of the following connects the frontal and temporal lobes?
a) Cingulum
b) External capsule
c) Arcuate fasciculus
d) Inferior longitudinal fasciculus
e) Superior longitudinal fasciculus - ANSWER C- arcuate fasciculus
A 38 yo with a long history of social anxiety and treatment with clonazepam is brought
to the ER disoriented and confused. Neurological exam is notable for dyskinesias of the
upper extremities. Which of the following, if taken in conjunction with the currently
prescribed medication, is most likely to cause these symptoms?
a) Kava
b) Ginko
c) Ginseng
d) Yohimbine
e) St. John's wort - ANSWER A- Kava
A 65 yo is prescribed sertraline for depression and within weeks develops waxing and
waning impairment of alertness, attention, and memory. Vital signs and PE are WNL.
,Which of the following tests would be most helpful in clarifying the etiology of the
change in the pts mental status?
a) Serum electrolytes
b) Sertraline plasma level
c) Electrocardiogram
d) CBC
e) Dexamethasone suppression test - ANSWER A- serum electrolytes
The primary MOA of benzodiazepines at GABA-A receptors is to increase which of the
following?
a) Duration of Cl channel opening
b) Affinities of the binding sites for GABA
c) Response of the tonic GABA activated currents
d) Long open state, and reduces the short open state
e) Frequency of channel opening in response to GABA - ANSWER E- Frequency of
channel opening in response to GABA
Which of the following is seen most frequently as a comorbid condition in children with
autism spectrum disorder?
a) Selective mutism
b) Intellectual disability
c) Early-onset schizophrenia
d) OCD
e) ADHD - ANSWER B- intellectual disability
Prenatal infection with which of the following has the most evidence for the risk of
developing schizophrenia?
a) Rubella
b) Borna Disease
c) EBV
d) Influenza
e) RSV - ANSWER D- Influenza
Which of the following variants is most commonly identified in the human genome?
a) Indels
b) Simple tandem repeats
c) Copy number variations
d) Single nucleotide polymorphisms
e) Simple sequence length polymorphisms - ANSWER D- Single nucleotide
polymorphisms
The intensity of cognitive deficits associated with severe head trauma most closely
correlates with:
a) mechanism of injury
b) premorbid educational status
c) anatomic location of brain injury
, d) duration of post traumatic amnesia
e) GCS score at time of injury - ANSWER D duration of post traumatic amnesia
Which of the following medications can contribute to prolonged post-ictal delirium and
severe cognitive side effects during a course of ECT treatment?
a) Lithium
b) Clozapine
c) Clonazepam
d) Divalproic acid
e) Carbamazepine - ANSWER A- lithium
A 36 Yo is becoming increasingly more aggressive and has begun to develop writhing
movements of arms and legs. The patient's parent had similar symptoms before passing
away at a young age. Which of the following would be the most effective in treating the
abnormal movements?
a) Levodopa
b) Primidone
c) Pramipexole
d) Levetiracetam
e) Tetrabenazine - ANSWER E- tetrabenazine. Huntington's Disease, chorea.
Monoamine depleting drugs
Clozapine- also for psychosis
NMDA antagonist- amantadine
A patient with schizophrenia is newly initiated on clozapine therapy after failing two
other antipsychotic trials. The pts initial ANC is 2200/mm3. How frequently should the
psychiatrist order a CBC w/diff for this pt?
a) Daily
b) Three times weekly
c) Weekly
d) Every two weeks
e) Monthly - ANSWER C- weekly
Randomized controlled trials involving assertive community treatment have most
consistently shown improvements in:
a) substance use
b) arrests or jail time
c) psychiatric symptoms
d) medication adherence
e) psychiatric hospitalization - ANSWER E- psychiatric hospitalization
A pt is seen for evaluation of gait imbalance. The pt cannot discern the direction of toe
movement up or down. This finding on examination can be caused by a lesion in which
of the following tracts?
a) Tectospinal
b) Rubrospinal
