Anxiety and related disorders: narcoanalytic interview: 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 · Anxiety and related disorders: narcoanalytic interview

Sample item

A 24-year-old man is mute and cannot recall events after a road accident. Neurological examination and imaging are normal. Which procedure may help bring out the forgotten material during assessment?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Amobarbital-facilitated interview

An intravenous amobarbital interview lowers inhibition and can release suppressed material in conversion or dissociative symptoms, and is also used for diagnosis in mutism or stupor. Tests for organic disease such as imaging or CSF examination are already normal here.

Option by option

  • A. Amobarbital-facilitated interview (correct)

    Correct. A barbiturate-assisted interview can facilitate recall in dissociative states.

  • B. Lumbar puncture

    Lumbar puncture looks for infection or bleeding and would not retrieve memories.

  • C. Polysomnography

    Polysomnography records sleep stages and does not recover memory.

  • D. Electromyography

    Electromyography tests nerve and muscle function.

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 A, Amobarbital-facilitated interview. An intravenous amobarbital interview lowers inhibition and can release suppressed material in conversion or dissociative symptoms, and is also used for diagnosis in mutism or stupor.

Why is "Lumbar puncture" not the answer?

Lumbar puncture looks for infection or bleeding and would not retrieve memories.

Why is "Polysomnography" not the answer?

Polysomnography records sleep stages and does not recover memory.

Why is "Electromyography" not the answer?

Electromyography tests nerve and muscle function.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Anxiety and related disorders: narcoanalytic interview in Psychiatry. Tests for organic disease such as imaging or CSF examination are already normal here.

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 Anxiety and related disorders: narcoanalytic interview?

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.