Organic psychiatry: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder: practice question

A Psychiatry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Psychiatry · Organic psychiatry: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder

Sample item

A 35-year-old man with advanced HIV develops psychomotor slowing, apathy and impaired concentration with MRI showing diffuse atrophy. The appropriate disease-modifying treatment is

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Antiretroviral therapy

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder shows subcortical dementia with slowing, apathy and impaired attention and motor control. Antiretroviral therapy with good CNS penetration can improve or arrest it. Opportunistic infections and lymphoma must be excluded.

Option by option

  • A. Antiretroviral therapy (correct)

    Correct. Treating the viral infection is the disease-modifying step.

  • B. Haloperidol

    Haloperidol risks severe sensitivity and does not treat HIV dementia.

  • C. Donepezil alone

    Donepezil gives only symptomatic benefit in Alzheimer disease.

  • D. Lithium

    Lithium has no role.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is A, Antiretroviral therapy. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder shows subcortical dementia with slowing, apathy and impaired attention and motor control.

Why is "Haloperidol" not the answer?

Haloperidol risks severe sensitivity and does not treat HIV dementia.

Why is "Donepezil alone" not the answer?

Donepezil gives only symptomatic benefit in Alzheimer disease.

Why is "Lithium" not the answer?

Lithium has no role.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Organic psychiatry: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder in Psychiatry. Antiretroviral therapy with good CNS penetration can improve or arrest it. Opportunistic infections and lymphoma must be excluded.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Organic psychiatry: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder?

Learn each diagnosis by its core features and its first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other Psychiatry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.