CMN 554 EXAM SCRIPT VERIFIED
QUESTIONS WITH ACCURATE ANSWERS
●● Speech & Language Disorders
Answer: persistent difficulty in acquisition or expression of language.
Differentiate stuttering (speech fluency) from language disorder
(vocabulary/grammar deficits).
●● Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder
Answer: most frequent co‑morbid diagnosis is ADHD —screen attention
& executive function in every case.
●● Intellectual Disabilities
Answer: global deficits in intellectual & adaptive functioning; screen
thyroid & cardiac in Down syndrome.
●● ADHD
Answer: frontostriatal hypoactivation; dopamine & norepinephrine
underactive. DSM‑5: ≥ 6 symptoms of inattention and/or
hyperactivity‑impulsivity for ≥ 6 mo, onset < 12 y, impairment in ≥ 2
settings. First‑line tx: stimulants (methylphenidate/amphetamine);
monitor BP, HR, growth. Non‑stimulants: atomoxetine, guanfacine XR.
●● Chronic tics/Tourette's with ADHD
,Answer: start an α‑2 agonist (guanfacine or clonidine) before a stimulant
to avoid tic worsening.
●● ODD vs Conduct Disorder
Answer: ODD—angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant, vindictive;
Conduct—repetitive rights violations (aggression, theft, deceit, serious
rule infractions).
●● Tourette's Disorder
Answer: multiple motor + ≥ 1 vocal tic > 1 y, onset < 18 y; first‑line
habit‑reversal training; meds (guanfacine, clonidine, aripiprazole) if
functionally impairing.
●● Developmental Coordination Disorder
Answer: clumsiness, slow/inaccurate motor skills; OT/PT key; often
comorbid ADHD.
●● Specific Learning Disorders
Answer: persistent difficulty in reading, writing, or math for ≥ 6 mo
despite intervention; needs psycho‑ed testing.
●● Piaget milestones
Answer: 7-11 y concrete operational, conservation.
,●● Erikson milestones
Answer: industry vs inferiority, 6-12 y.
●● Alcohol
Answer: standard US drink ≈ 10-12 g ethanol; BAL > 300 mg/dL risks
coma. Withdrawal peaks day 2; CIWA‑Ar.
●● Wernicke vs Korsakoff
Answer: Wernicke (ataxia + ocular + confusion) vs Korsakoff
(anterograde amnesia, confabulation) - both thiamine‑responsive.
●● AUD meds
Answer: naltrexone (first‑line, cuts reward), acamprosate
(glutamate/GABA balance; avoid in severe renal), disulfiram (aversive).
●● Opioid Use Disorder
Answer: MAT—buprenorphine, methadone, or XR‑naltrexone.
Naloxone 0.4-2 mg IV for overdose.
●● Stimulant Use Disorder
Answer: marked dopamine depletion; no FDA drug—use
CBT/contingency management.
, ●● Cannabis
Answer: heavy use ↑ psychosis risk; withdrawal - irritability, insomnia,
↓ appetite.
●● Synthetic cathinones
Answer: hyperthermia, psychosis, renal failure—medical emergency.
●● Evidence‑based prevention in adolescents
Answer: Life Skills Training, Good Behavior Game.
●● Cluster A Personality Disorders
Answer: Schizoid, Schizotypal (eccentric, magical thinking; low‑dose
antipsychotic), Paranoid.
●● Cluster B Personality Disorders
Answer: Borderline (affective instability, splitting; Dialectical Behavior
Therapy), Antisocial (rights violations since < 15 y; low empathy),
Histrionic (attention‑seeking), Narcissistic (grandiosity, needs
admiration).
●● Cluster C Personality Disorders
Answer: Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive‑Compulsive PD.
QUESTIONS WITH ACCURATE ANSWERS
●● Speech & Language Disorders
Answer: persistent difficulty in acquisition or expression of language.
Differentiate stuttering (speech fluency) from language disorder
(vocabulary/grammar deficits).
●● Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder
Answer: most frequent co‑morbid diagnosis is ADHD —screen attention
& executive function in every case.
●● Intellectual Disabilities
Answer: global deficits in intellectual & adaptive functioning; screen
thyroid & cardiac in Down syndrome.
●● ADHD
Answer: frontostriatal hypoactivation; dopamine & norepinephrine
underactive. DSM‑5: ≥ 6 symptoms of inattention and/or
hyperactivity‑impulsivity for ≥ 6 mo, onset < 12 y, impairment in ≥ 2
settings. First‑line tx: stimulants (methylphenidate/amphetamine);
monitor BP, HR, growth. Non‑stimulants: atomoxetine, guanfacine XR.
●● Chronic tics/Tourette's with ADHD
,Answer: start an α‑2 agonist (guanfacine or clonidine) before a stimulant
to avoid tic worsening.
●● ODD vs Conduct Disorder
Answer: ODD—angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant, vindictive;
Conduct—repetitive rights violations (aggression, theft, deceit, serious
rule infractions).
●● Tourette's Disorder
Answer: multiple motor + ≥ 1 vocal tic > 1 y, onset < 18 y; first‑line
habit‑reversal training; meds (guanfacine, clonidine, aripiprazole) if
functionally impairing.
●● Developmental Coordination Disorder
Answer: clumsiness, slow/inaccurate motor skills; OT/PT key; often
comorbid ADHD.
●● Specific Learning Disorders
Answer: persistent difficulty in reading, writing, or math for ≥ 6 mo
despite intervention; needs psycho‑ed testing.
●● Piaget milestones
Answer: 7-11 y concrete operational, conservation.
,●● Erikson milestones
Answer: industry vs inferiority, 6-12 y.
●● Alcohol
Answer: standard US drink ≈ 10-12 g ethanol; BAL > 300 mg/dL risks
coma. Withdrawal peaks day 2; CIWA‑Ar.
●● Wernicke vs Korsakoff
Answer: Wernicke (ataxia + ocular + confusion) vs Korsakoff
(anterograde amnesia, confabulation) - both thiamine‑responsive.
●● AUD meds
Answer: naltrexone (first‑line, cuts reward), acamprosate
(glutamate/GABA balance; avoid in severe renal), disulfiram (aversive).
●● Opioid Use Disorder
Answer: MAT—buprenorphine, methadone, or XR‑naltrexone.
Naloxone 0.4-2 mg IV for overdose.
●● Stimulant Use Disorder
Answer: marked dopamine depletion; no FDA drug—use
CBT/contingency management.
, ●● Cannabis
Answer: heavy use ↑ psychosis risk; withdrawal - irritability, insomnia,
↓ appetite.
●● Synthetic cathinones
Answer: hyperthermia, psychosis, renal failure—medical emergency.
●● Evidence‑based prevention in adolescents
Answer: Life Skills Training, Good Behavior Game.
●● Cluster A Personality Disorders
Answer: Schizoid, Schizotypal (eccentric, magical thinking; low‑dose
antipsychotic), Paranoid.
●● Cluster B Personality Disorders
Answer: Borderline (affective instability, splitting; Dialectical Behavior
Therapy), Antisocial (rights violations since < 15 y; low empathy),
Histrionic (attention‑seeking), Narcissistic (grandiosity, needs
admiration).
●● Cluster C Personality Disorders
Answer: Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive‑Compulsive PD.
