Organic mental disorders: postictal psychosis: 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 mental disorders: postictal psychosis

Sample item

A 35-year-old man with long-standing temporal lobe epilepsy has a cluster of seizures. He appears normal for about a day, then becomes paranoid with religious preoccupations and mood symptoms, lasting a few days. Which diagnosis is most likely?

ABrief psychotic disorder unrelated to epilepsyBInterictal schizophrenia-like psychosisCNon-convulsive status epilepticusDPostictal psychosis

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Postictal psychosis

Postictal psychosis follows a cluster of seizures after a lucid interval of up to a few days and usually resolves within days to weeks. Interictal psychosis, in contrast, occurs in clear consciousness without a close link to seizure clusters and tends to be chronic.

Option by option

A. Brief psychotic disorder unrelated to epilepsy
A primary brief psychotic disorder is a diagnosis of exclusion, which is not made when the temporal link to seizures is clear.
B. Interictal schizophrenia-like psychosis
Interictal psychosis is persistent and not temporally tied to a seizure cluster.
C. Non-convulsive status epilepticus
Non-convulsive status shows continuous impaired consciousness and EEG seizure activity, without a lucid interval.
D. Postictal psychosis (correct)
Correct. Psychosis after a lucid interval following a seizure cluster is postictal psychosis.

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.

Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is D, Postictal psychosis. Postictal psychosis follows a cluster of seizures after a lucid interval of up to a few days and usually resolves within days to weeks.

Why is "Brief psychotic disorder unrelated to epilepsy" not the answer?

A primary brief psychotic disorder is a diagnosis of exclusion, which is not made when the temporal link to seizures is clear.

Why is "Interictal schizophrenia-like psychosis" not the answer?

Interictal psychosis is persistent and not temporally tied to a seizure cluster.

Why is "Non-convulsive status epilepticus" not the answer?

Non-convulsive status shows continuous impaired consciousness and EEG seizure activity, without a lucid interval.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Organic mental disorders: postictal psychosis in Psychiatry. Interictal psychosis, in contrast, occurs in clear consciousness without a close link to seizure clusters and tends to be chronic.

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 mental disorders: postictal psychosis?

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.