NURS 5363 EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE: DIFFERENTIAL
DIAGNOSIS UPDATED ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
1. How are mental disorders determined in the DSM-5-TR?
Answer:
Mental disorders are defined as significant disturbances in cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior
that reflect dysfunction in psychological, biological, or developmental processes, causing clinically
significant distress or impairment in functioning. Diagnosis is made when symptoms meet the criteria
specified in the DSM-5-TR for a particular disorder, ruling out other causes.
Question:
2. What components are assessed in the Mental Status Exam (MSE)?
Answer:
Memory (immediate recall, short-term, long-term), Abstract reasoning (using proverbs or similarities),
Concentration/Attention (tasks like serial 7s), Judgment (hypothetical questions), Mood (self-reported
feelings), Speech/Thought patterns (observing rate, tone, coherence).
Question:
3. What should be included in the assessment of children?
Answer:
Developmental history and milestones, family and school functioning, observation of play behavior, use of
age-appropriate language and tools, interviews with both child and caregiver, and standardized tools like
the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).
Question:
4. What is included in the Psychiatric Interview?
Answer:
Chief complaint, history of present illness, psychiatric history, medical and surgical history, substance use
history, family psychiatric history, social history, mental status exam, and risk assessment.
Question:
5. What diagnostics/imaging studies are used for initial assessment of cognitive concerns and dementia?
Answer:
Cognitive screening tools (MMSE, MoCA), labs (CBC, TSH, B12, folate, CMP, RPR, HIV), imaging
(MRI or CT), and functional imaging (e.g., PET) for differential diagnosis.
Question:
6. Which parts of the brain impact behavioral regulation and speech, and how do aberrations present?
Answer:
Frontal lobe (executive function, impulse control, disinhibition/apathy), Temporal lobe (language
comprehension, memory, auditory hallucinations), Parietal lobe (spatial awareness, neglect/apraxia),
Broca's area (expressive aphasia), Wernicke's area (receptive aphasia).
DIAGNOSIS UPDATED ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
1. How are mental disorders determined in the DSM-5-TR?
Answer:
Mental disorders are defined as significant disturbances in cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior
that reflect dysfunction in psychological, biological, or developmental processes, causing clinically
significant distress or impairment in functioning. Diagnosis is made when symptoms meet the criteria
specified in the DSM-5-TR for a particular disorder, ruling out other causes.
Question:
2. What components are assessed in the Mental Status Exam (MSE)?
Answer:
Memory (immediate recall, short-term, long-term), Abstract reasoning (using proverbs or similarities),
Concentration/Attention (tasks like serial 7s), Judgment (hypothetical questions), Mood (self-reported
feelings), Speech/Thought patterns (observing rate, tone, coherence).
Question:
3. What should be included in the assessment of children?
Answer:
Developmental history and milestones, family and school functioning, observation of play behavior, use of
age-appropriate language and tools, interviews with both child and caregiver, and standardized tools like
the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).
Question:
4. What is included in the Psychiatric Interview?
Answer:
Chief complaint, history of present illness, psychiatric history, medical and surgical history, substance use
history, family psychiatric history, social history, mental status exam, and risk assessment.
Question:
5. What diagnostics/imaging studies are used for initial assessment of cognitive concerns and dementia?
Answer:
Cognitive screening tools (MMSE, MoCA), labs (CBC, TSH, B12, folate, CMP, RPR, HIV), imaging
(MRI or CT), and functional imaging (e.g., PET) for differential diagnosis.
Question:
6. Which parts of the brain impact behavioral regulation and speech, and how do aberrations present?
Answer:
Frontal lobe (executive function, impulse control, disinhibition/apathy), Temporal lobe (language
comprehension, memory, auditory hallucinations), Parietal lobe (spatial awareness, neglect/apraxia),
Broca's area (expressive aphasia), Wernicke's area (receptive aphasia).
