Organic mental disorders: corticobasal degeneration: 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: corticobasal degeneration

Sample item

A 65-year-old woman has progressive clumsiness of the right hand, which feels foreign and sometimes moves on its own. She also has asymmetric rigidity, apraxia and myoclonus, with asymmetric parietal atrophy. Which diagnosis fits best?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Corticobasal degeneration

Corticobasal degeneration is a 4-repeat tauopathy producing asymmetric akinetic-rigid parkinsonism with apraxia, cortical sensory loss, myoclonus and an alien limb phenomenon. It responds poorly to levodopa.

Option by option

  • A. Huntington disease

    Huntington disease features chorea and a family history.

  • B. Dementia with Lewy bodies

    Dementia with Lewy bodies features fluctuation, visual hallucinations and symmetric parkinsonism.

  • C. Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia

    Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia causes early disinhibition and apathy rather than an alien limb.

  • D. Corticobasal degeneration (correct)

    Correct. Asymmetric rigidity, apraxia and an alien limb are characteristic.

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, Corticobasal degeneration. Corticobasal degeneration is a 4-repeat tauopathy producing asymmetric akinetic-rigid parkinsonism with apraxia, cortical sensory loss, myoclonus and an alien limb phenomenon.

Why is "Huntington disease" not the answer?

Huntington disease features chorea and a family history.

Why is "Dementia with Lewy bodies" not the answer?

Dementia with Lewy bodies features fluctuation, visual hallucinations and symmetric parkinsonism.

Why is "Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia" not the answer?

Behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia causes early disinhibition and apathy rather than an alien limb.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Organic mental disorders: corticobasal degeneration in Psychiatry. It responds poorly to levodopa.

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: corticobasal degeneration?

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.