Organic mental disorders: Anton syndrome: 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: Anton syndrome

Sample item

A 68-year-old man after bilateral occipital infarcts walks into furniture but insists that he can see. He describes his surroundings fluently and wrongly. Pupillary light reflexes are normal. Which syndrome is this?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Anton syndrome

Anton syndrome is a form of anosognosia for cortical blindness in which patients deny the deficit and confabulate visual experience. The pupillary reflexes are preserved because the lesion lies beyond the lateral geniculate body.

Option by option

  • A. Riddoch phenomenon

    Riddoch phenomenon is awareness of moving objects in a blind visual field, without denial of blindness.

  • B. Anton syndrome (correct)

    Correct. Denial of blindness with confabulation after bilateral occipital damage defines it.

  • C. Balint syndrome

    Balint syndrome involves simultanagnosia, optic ataxia and gaze apraxia.

  • D. Charles Bonnet syndrome

    Charles Bonnet syndrome involves vivid hallucinations in visually impaired people who recognise the blindness.

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 B, Anton syndrome. Anton syndrome is a form of anosognosia for cortical blindness in which patients deny the deficit and confabulate visual experience.

Why is "Riddoch phenomenon" not the answer?

Riddoch phenomenon is awareness of moving objects in a blind visual field, without denial of blindness.

Why is "Balint syndrome" not the answer?

Balint syndrome involves simultanagnosia, optic ataxia and gaze apraxia.

Why is "Charles Bonnet syndrome" not the answer?

Charles Bonnet syndrome involves vivid hallucinations in visually impaired people who recognise the blindness.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Organic mental disorders: Anton syndrome in Psychiatry. The pupillary reflexes are preserved because the lesion lies beyond the lateral geniculate body.

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: Anton syndrome?

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.