A 25-year-old man was admitted to a psychiatric hospital 1 week after Army summer camp. He was out of control, hearing voices and seeing things not visible to others. His wife described severe mood instability over the past several days, where he was elated one moment and depressed the next. When he was unable to resume work, his family sought psychiatric help.
On observation, the patient smiled inappropriately and repeated what appeared to be nonsense. He was unable to describe clearly what was going on. Further questioning of his family established that the man’s behavior was quite uncharacteristic. His family said he was stable and hard working.
A thorough mental status examination documented visual and auditory hallucinations with paranoid delusional thought and agitated, anxious demeanor. Periodically, the patient appeared confused and was highly unpredictable
1.Do you think the psychological symptoms are caused by a medical condition or a psychological disorder?
2.Describe how the following support your hypothesis
age
timeline
trigger
medical/psychological history
3.Based on the symptoms, which specific brain regions, neurotransmitters or hormones have been impacted?
4.Can you identify the specific medical condition or psychological disorder presented?
Sample Solution