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365 Advanced Topics in Psychopharmacology: Quiz 25

Are these statements TRUE or FALSE?


Though the links to the relevant articles are provided, you DON’T have to re-read that article. Correct answers are given in just few sentences.


1. Presence of “atypical features” in a major depressive episode suggests that instead of borderline personality disorder, the person is more likely to have bipolar disorder.

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Answer: False

Explanation: Atypical features are more likely to be present in depressive episodes in persons with a bipolar disorder AND also in persons with borderline personality disorder. When atypical features are present in a depressive episode, we are also more likely to find a history of psychosocial trauma, seasonal pattern, and obesity.

Review: What to assess for if atypical features are present in a depressive episode


2. If a course of treatment with intravenous ketamine or intranasal esketamine for difficult-to-treat major depressive disorder is planned and the patient is on a psychostimulant, the psychostimulant should not be given on the morning of each ketamine/esketamine treatment.

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Answer: True

Explanation: Ketamine/ esketamine can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure immediately after they are administered even in patients who are not on a stimulant. If the patient is on a stimulant, the increase in blood pressure may be greater. The good news is that the increase in blood pressure related to administration of ketamine/ esketamine is temporary. So, for patients who are on a stimulant medication and need to continue it, a sufficient precaution may be to ask them to just not take the stimulant on the morning of the ketamine/ esketamine administration. Many leading ketamine treatment centers follow this practice.

Review: Stimulants in a patient receiving ketamine/ esketamine?


3. Migraine headache is unilateral in the majority of cases.

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Answer: True

Explanation: We typically think of migraine headache as being unilateral and as throbbing in nature. It is true that migraine headache is unilateral in 60% of cases and throbbing in 50% of cases, this also means that it is NOT unilateral in 40% of cases and NOT throbbing in 50% of cases. Why is this important for us as clinicians? Because we should NOT fail to consider migraine as the diagnosis when the headache is bilateral and not throbbing in character.

Review: Migraine headache and associated symptoms


Related Pages

365 Advanced Topics in Psychopharmacology: Quiz 20

365 Advanced Topics in Psychopharmacology: Quiz 21

365 Advanced Topics in Psychopharmacology: Quiz 22


Copyright 2019, Rajnish Mago, MD. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without express written permission.

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