Neurocognitive disorders: Lewy body disease: 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 · Neurocognitive disorders: Lewy body disease

Sample item

An older patient has fluctuating cognition, recurrent well-formed visual hallucinations, REM sleep behavior disorder, and spontaneous parkinsonism. Which major neurocognitive disorder is most likely?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Dementia with Lewy bodies

Dementia with Lewy bodies is characterized by cognitive fluctuations, recurrent visual hallucinations, REM sleep behavior disorder, and spontaneous parkinsonism. Sensitivity to antipsychotic medication is also clinically important.

Option by option

  • A. Alzheimer disease

    Alzheimer disease usually begins with progressive episodic-memory impairment.

  • B. Frontotemporal dementia

    Frontotemporal dementia often begins with disinhibition, apathy, or language-predominant change.

  • C. Dementia with Lewy bodies (correct)

    Correct. This constellation is highly characteristic of Lewy body disease.

  • D. Vascular dementia

    Vascular dementia often has a temporal relationship to cerebrovascular disease and may show stepwise decline.

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 C, Dementia with Lewy bodies. Dementia with Lewy bodies is characterized by cognitive fluctuations, recurrent visual hallucinations, REM sleep behavior disorder, and spontaneous parkinsonism.

Why is "Alzheimer disease" not the answer?

Alzheimer disease usually begins with progressive episodic-memory impairment.

Why is "Frontotemporal dementia" not the answer?

Frontotemporal dementia often begins with disinhibition, apathy, or language-predominant change.

Why is "Vascular dementia" not the answer?

Vascular dementia often has a temporal relationship to cerebrovascular disease and may show stepwise decline.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Neurocognitive disorders: Lewy body disease in Psychiatry. Sensitivity to antipsychotic medication is also clinically important.

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 Neurocognitive disorders: Lewy body disease?

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.