Geriatric psychiatry: Charles Bonnet 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 · Geriatric psychiatry: Charles Bonnet syndrome

Sample item

An 80-year-old with severe macular degeneration sees vivid, well-formed images of people and animals, and knows they are not real. She has no other psychiatric symptoms. This is:

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Charles Bonnet syndrome

Charles Bonnet syndrome is complex visual hallucinations with preserved insight in people with significant visual loss, without psychiatric or cognitive disease. Reassurance and optimisation of vision are the mainstay.

Option by option

  • A. Dementia with Lewy bodies

    DLB has fluctuating cognition and parkinsonism.

  • B. Schizophrenia

    Schizophrenia would not present this way in an 80-year-old without insight loss.

  • C. Charles Bonnet syndrome (correct)

    Correct. Insightful visual hallucinations with visual impairment are Charles Bonnet.

  • D. Cotard syndrome

    Cotard syndrome is a nihilistic delusion.

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 C, Charles Bonnet syndrome. Charles Bonnet syndrome is complex visual hallucinations with preserved insight in people with significant visual loss, without psychiatric or cognitive disease.

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

DLB has fluctuating cognition and parkinsonism.

Why is "Schizophrenia" not the answer?

Schizophrenia would not present this way in an 80-year-old without insight loss.

Why is "Cotard syndrome" not the answer?

Cotard syndrome is a nihilistic delusion.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Geriatric psychiatry: Charles Bonnet syndrome in Psychiatry. Reassurance and optimisation of vision are the mainstay.

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 Geriatric psychiatry: Charles Bonnet 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.