Organic mental disorders: Huntington disease imaging: 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: Huntington disease imaging

Sample item

A 38-year-old man has irritability, depression, clumsiness and involuntary dance-like movements. His father died in an institution with a similar illness. Which neuroimaging finding is characteristic?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Atrophy of the caudate nucleus with enlarged frontal horns

Huntington disease causes degeneration of medium spiny neurons in the caudate and putamen, seen as caudate atrophy with a loss of the normal convex contour of the lateral ventricle. Psychiatric symptoms such as depression, irritability and suicidality often precede the movement disorder.

Option by option

  • A. Atrophy of the mamillary bodies

    Mamillary body atrophy belongs to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

  • B. Hippocampal sclerosis

    Hippocampal sclerosis is a feature of mesial temporal epilepsy.

  • C. Midbrain atrophy with a hummingbird appearance

    The hummingbird sign of midbrain atrophy suggests progressive supranuclear palsy.

  • D. Atrophy of the caudate nucleus with enlarged frontal horns (correct)

    Correct. Caudate atrophy is the hallmark imaging finding.

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 D, Atrophy of the caudate nucleus with enlarged frontal horns. Huntington disease causes degeneration of medium spiny neurons in the caudate and putamen, seen as caudate atrophy with a loss of the normal convex contour of the lateral ventricle.

Why is "Atrophy of the mamillary bodies" not the answer?

Mamillary body atrophy belongs to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

Why is "Hippocampal sclerosis" not the answer?

Hippocampal sclerosis is a feature of mesial temporal epilepsy.

Why is "Midbrain atrophy with a hummingbird appearance" not the answer?

The hummingbird sign of midbrain atrophy suggests progressive supranuclear palsy.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Organic mental disorders: Huntington disease imaging in Psychiatry. Psychiatric symptoms such as depression, irritability and suicidality often precede the movement disorder.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. 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: Huntington disease imaging?

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.