Substance use: cocaine: 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 · Substance use: cocaine

Sample item

A man who has used cocaine heavily reports the feeling of insects crawling under his skin and picks at his skin. This is:

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Formication (Magnan's sign)

Tactile hallucination of insects crawling on or under the skin is formication, called cocaine bugs, a feature of cocaine and amphetamine intoxication. Intoxication also produces dilated pupils, hypertension, tachycardia and euphoria.

Option by option

  • A. Delusional misidentification

    Misidentification refers to wrongly recognising persons.

  • B. Formication (Magnan's sign) (correct)

    Correct. Formication is the characteristic tactile hallucination.

  • C. Akathisia

    Akathisia is motor restlessness from antipsychotics.

  • D. Phantom limb

    Phantom limb is perception from an amputated part.

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, Formication (Magnan's sign). Tactile hallucination of insects crawling on or under the skin is formication, called cocaine bugs, a feature of cocaine and amphetamine intoxication.

Why is "Delusional misidentification" not the answer?

Misidentification refers to wrongly recognising persons.

Why is "Akathisia" not the answer?

Akathisia is motor restlessness from antipsychotics.

Why is "Phantom limb" not the answer?

Phantom limb is perception from an amputated part.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Substance use: cocaine in Psychiatry. Intoxication also produces dilated pupils, hypertension, tachycardia and euphoria.

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 Substance use: cocaine?

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.