Nurs 4431 Exam 3 UPDATED ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Which disorders make up the schizophrenia spectrum? - CORRECT ANSWER Delusional
disorder, brief psychotic disorder, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder,
substance/medication-induced psychotic disorder, psychotic disorder due to another medical
condition, and schizophrenia.
What feature do all schizophrenia spectrum disorders share? - CORRECT ANSWER
Psychosis: altered cognition, altered perception, and/or an impaired ability to determine what is
or is not real.
How long must the delusions last in delusional disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER One month
or longer.
Which delusional themes are included in delusional disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER
Grandiose, persecutory, somatic, and referential themes.
What is key about the patient's functioning in delusional disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER The
delusions are NOT severe enough to impair functioning.
What is the duration of brief psychotic disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER Longer than 1 day
but no longer than 1 month, with the expectation of a return to normal functioning.
What symptoms appear in brief psychotic disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER Sudden onset of at
least one of the following: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, or disorganized/catatonic
behavior.
How does schizophreniform disorder differ from schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER
Symptoms are exactly like schizophrenia except they have lasted LESS than 6 months.
What defines schizoaffective disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER A major depressive, manic, or
mixed episode occurring CONCURRENTLY with symptoms that meet the criteria for schizophrenia.
,What must be ruled out in schizoaffective disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER Substance use or a
general medical condition as the cause.
What causes substance-induced psychotic disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER Delusions or
hallucinations resulting from illicit drugs, alcohol, medications, or toxins.
Give examples of causes for psychotic disorder due to another medical condition. - CORRECT
ANSWER Delirium, neurological disease, hepatic or renal disease, and many others.
What must ALWAYS be ruled out before a primary schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis is made? -
CORRECT ANSWER Substance use and medical conditions.
What percentage of the population does schizophrenia affect? - CORRECT ANSWER About
1%.
At what age does schizophrenia typically present? - CORRECT ANSWER In 75% of cases it
develops gradually and presents between 15 and 25 years of age.
How common are child-onset and late-onset schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Both are
rare.
How many symptoms are required for DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER
Two or more symptoms present for a significant portion of time within a 1-month period.
What are the five possible symptoms for DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER
Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, gross disorganization or catatonia, and negative
symptoms.
How long must the overall disturbance last for DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia? - CORRECT
ANSWER Continuous disturbance for at least 6 months.
What else is required beyond the symptoms for DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia? - CORRECT
ANSWER Functional impairment of some kind, and substances or other disorders must be
ruled out.
,How is disorganized speech defined? - CORRECT ANSWER Frequent derailment or
incoherence.
What is the prevalence of childhood-onset schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER About 1 in
40,000 children.
Does schizophrenia prevalence differ by race or culture? - CORRECT ANSWER No, there is
no difference related to race or culture.
In which groups and settings is schizophrenia more frequently diagnosed? - CORRECT ANSWER
Among males and in urban areas.
What conditions are commonly comorbid with schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER
Substance use disorders, nicotine dependence, anxiety, depression, suicide, physical illness,
and polydipsia.
Which neurotransmitters are implicated in schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Glutamate,
dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine.
What are the biological risk factors for schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Genetics,
neurobiological factors, brain structure abnormalities, and prenatal stressors.
What are the four phases of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Prodromal, acute,
stabilization, and maintenance/residual.
What happens during the prodromal phase of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Mild
changes in thinking, reality testing, and mood.
When do prodromal symptoms typically appear relative to the first full episode? - CORRECT
ANSWER Typically 1 to 12 months before the first full episode of schizophrenia.
What happens during the acute phase of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Exacerbation
of symptoms.
, What happens during the stabilization phase of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER
Symptoms diminish and the patient moves toward a previous level of functioning.
What happens during the maintenance/residual phase of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER
A new baseline is established.
What are POSITIVE symptoms of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER The PRESENCE of
something that should not be present: hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and disorganized or bizarre
thoughts, behavior, or speech.
What are NEGATIVE symptoms of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER The ABSENCE of
something that should be present: anhedonia, avolition, asociality, affective blunting, apathy, and
alogia.
What are COGNITIVE symptoms of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Concrete
thinking, impaired memory, impaired information processing, impaired executive functioning, and
anosognosia.
What are AFFECTIVE symptoms of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Symptoms
involving emotions and their expression.
What is a delusion? - CORRECT ANSWER A false, fixed belief.
What is concrete thinking? - CORRECT ANSWER An impaired ability to think abstractly,
resulting in literal interpretation.
What is associative looseness? - CORRECT ANSWER Disorganized, illogical thinking in
which ideas shift with no logical connection between them.
What is word salad? - CORRECT ANSWER The most extreme form of associative looseness:
a jumble of words that is meaningless to the listener.
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Which disorders make up the schizophrenia spectrum? - CORRECT ANSWER Delusional
disorder, brief psychotic disorder, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder,
substance/medication-induced psychotic disorder, psychotic disorder due to another medical
condition, and schizophrenia.
What feature do all schizophrenia spectrum disorders share? - CORRECT ANSWER
Psychosis: altered cognition, altered perception, and/or an impaired ability to determine what is
or is not real.
How long must the delusions last in delusional disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER One month
or longer.
Which delusional themes are included in delusional disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER
Grandiose, persecutory, somatic, and referential themes.
What is key about the patient's functioning in delusional disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER The
delusions are NOT severe enough to impair functioning.
What is the duration of brief psychotic disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER Longer than 1 day
but no longer than 1 month, with the expectation of a return to normal functioning.
What symptoms appear in brief psychotic disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER Sudden onset of at
least one of the following: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, or disorganized/catatonic
behavior.
How does schizophreniform disorder differ from schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER
Symptoms are exactly like schizophrenia except they have lasted LESS than 6 months.
What defines schizoaffective disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER A major depressive, manic, or
mixed episode occurring CONCURRENTLY with symptoms that meet the criteria for schizophrenia.
,What must be ruled out in schizoaffective disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER Substance use or a
general medical condition as the cause.
What causes substance-induced psychotic disorder? - CORRECT ANSWER Delusions or
hallucinations resulting from illicit drugs, alcohol, medications, or toxins.
Give examples of causes for psychotic disorder due to another medical condition. - CORRECT
ANSWER Delirium, neurological disease, hepatic or renal disease, and many others.
What must ALWAYS be ruled out before a primary schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis is made? -
CORRECT ANSWER Substance use and medical conditions.
What percentage of the population does schizophrenia affect? - CORRECT ANSWER About
1%.
At what age does schizophrenia typically present? - CORRECT ANSWER In 75% of cases it
develops gradually and presents between 15 and 25 years of age.
How common are child-onset and late-onset schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Both are
rare.
How many symptoms are required for DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER
Two or more symptoms present for a significant portion of time within a 1-month period.
What are the five possible symptoms for DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER
Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, gross disorganization or catatonia, and negative
symptoms.
How long must the overall disturbance last for DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia? - CORRECT
ANSWER Continuous disturbance for at least 6 months.
What else is required beyond the symptoms for DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia? - CORRECT
ANSWER Functional impairment of some kind, and substances or other disorders must be
ruled out.
,How is disorganized speech defined? - CORRECT ANSWER Frequent derailment or
incoherence.
What is the prevalence of childhood-onset schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER About 1 in
40,000 children.
Does schizophrenia prevalence differ by race or culture? - CORRECT ANSWER No, there is
no difference related to race or culture.
In which groups and settings is schizophrenia more frequently diagnosed? - CORRECT ANSWER
Among males and in urban areas.
What conditions are commonly comorbid with schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER
Substance use disorders, nicotine dependence, anxiety, depression, suicide, physical illness,
and polydipsia.
Which neurotransmitters are implicated in schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Glutamate,
dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine.
What are the biological risk factors for schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Genetics,
neurobiological factors, brain structure abnormalities, and prenatal stressors.
What are the four phases of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Prodromal, acute,
stabilization, and maintenance/residual.
What happens during the prodromal phase of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Mild
changes in thinking, reality testing, and mood.
When do prodromal symptoms typically appear relative to the first full episode? - CORRECT
ANSWER Typically 1 to 12 months before the first full episode of schizophrenia.
What happens during the acute phase of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Exacerbation
of symptoms.
, What happens during the stabilization phase of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER
Symptoms diminish and the patient moves toward a previous level of functioning.
What happens during the maintenance/residual phase of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER
A new baseline is established.
What are POSITIVE symptoms of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER The PRESENCE of
something that should not be present: hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and disorganized or bizarre
thoughts, behavior, or speech.
What are NEGATIVE symptoms of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER The ABSENCE of
something that should be present: anhedonia, avolition, asociality, affective blunting, apathy, and
alogia.
What are COGNITIVE symptoms of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Concrete
thinking, impaired memory, impaired information processing, impaired executive functioning, and
anosognosia.
What are AFFECTIVE symptoms of schizophrenia? - CORRECT ANSWER Symptoms
involving emotions and their expression.
What is a delusion? - CORRECT ANSWER A false, fixed belief.
What is concrete thinking? - CORRECT ANSWER An impaired ability to think abstractly,
resulting in literal interpretation.
What is associative looseness? - CORRECT ANSWER Disorganized, illogical thinking in
which ideas shift with no logical connection between them.
What is word salad? - CORRECT ANSWER The most extreme form of associative looseness:
a jumble of words that is meaningless to the listener.
