Your Are Conducting a Mental Status Examination on a Patient

question 77

Multiple Choice

Your are conducting a mental status examination on a patient admitted with a diagnosis of depression.Your examination would most likely reveal which of the following? Select all that apply.

• A) Normal sleep pattern
• B) Increase or decrease in appetite
• C) Depressed mood
• D) Positive self-esteem
• E) Suicidal ideations
• F) Difficulty concentrating

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Definitions:

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers in the nervous system that transmit signals across synapses from one neuron to another.

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

A small region in the hypothalamus responsible for controlling the circadian rhythms, or the body's internal clock.

Biological Rhythms

The natural cycles of change in bodily functions or activities, including sleep-wake cycles and hormonal changes, that occur in a predictable pattern.

Activation-Synthesis Theory

A theory of dreaming that proposes dreams are the result of the brain trying to make sense of random neural activity that occurs during sleep.