A newly admitted client has a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. Based on this diagnosis, the nurse would expect to find which of the following symptoms?
Delusional thinking and mood changes
Waxy flexibility and catatonic excitement
Bizarre mannerisms and hostility
Agitation and ideas of reference
The Correct Answer is A
A) Correct. Schizoaffective disorder is characterized by a combination of symptoms of schizophrenia (such as delusions and hallucinations) and mood disorders (such as depression or mania).
B) Incorrect. Waxy flexibility and catatonic excitement are more commonly associated with catatonic schizophrenia, not schizoaffective disorder.
C) Incorrect. Bizarre mannerisms and hostility may be seen in various psychiatric disorders but are not specific to schizoaffective disorder.
D) Incorrect. While agitation and ideas of reference can occur in schizoaffective disorder, they are not the defining features of this diagnosis.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A. Neologisms refer to made-up words or phrases that have meaning only to the individual. The client's response does not include invented terms but rather consists of real words that are nonsensically grouped.
B. Echolalia is the repetition of words or phrases spoken by others. The client's response does not reflect repetition of the nurse's words but rather a disjointed response of their own.
C. Pressured speech involves rapid and often incoherent speech that reflects a sense of urgency. The client's response lacks the rapid flow characteristic of pressured speech.
D. Clang association is characterized by speech in which the individual connects words based on their sound rather than their meaning. The client's response ("medications, abbreviations, deviations, mediations") demonstrates this pattern, as the words are linked by similar sounds rather than by content or coherent thought.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. "He may begin to try to cover recognition of his memory loss by creating events." As
dementia progresses, individuals may experience confabulation, which involves creating false memories to compensate for memory loss. This is a common symptom seen in the middle stages of dementia.
B. "He may have difficulty in a motor skill such as walking." While motor skills may be affected in the later stages of dementia, it is not typically one of the early signs.
C. "The inability to communicate with speech comes immediately after the early signs." This statement is not accurate. Communication difficulties may occur in later stages, but it is not an immediate progression from early signs.
D. "He may not recognize you and other people who have been in his life." This symptom, known as agnosia, may occur in later stages of dementia, but it is not one of the early signs.
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