PSYC 435 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
NOTES AND TRIAL EXAMS
COMPREHENSIVE TEST PAPER 2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
⫸ Which cognitive domains are affected by neurocognitive disorders?
Answer: Memory, attention, language, executive functioning, and
visuospatial ability.
⫸ What are some presumed causes of neurocognitive disorders?
Answer: Disease (e.g., Alzheimer's, Parkinson's), vascular events (e.g.,
stroke), infection, toxic exposure, nutritional deficiency, and head injury.
⫸ What distinguishes reversible from permanent causes of
neurocognitive disorders? Answer: Some causes are reversible, while
others are permanent or progressive.
⫸ What are common clinical signs of brain damage? Answer: Changes
in cognitive functioning, poor memory, reduced attention, disorganized
thinking, personality changes, and motor problems.
⫸ What is the difference between diffuse and focal brain damage?
Answer: Diffuse brain damage is widespread, while focal brain damage
affects a specific area.
,⫸ What are the clinical patterns associated with diffuse brain damage?
Answer: Global cognitive decline, generalized memory and attention
problems, and slower processing speed.
⫸ What are the clinical patterns associated with focal brain damage?
Answer: Deficits depend on the location of damage, such as language
problems from left hemisphere damage.
⫸ How can neurocognitive disorders interact with psychopathology?
Answer: They can mimic psychiatric disorders, exacerbate existing
mental illness, or be misdiagnosed.
⫸ What is delirium? Answer: A sudden, acute, and fluctuating
disturbance in consciousness and cognition.
⫸ What are the core symptoms of delirium? Answer: Disturbance in
attention and awareness, disorganized thinking, memory impairment,
and disorientation.
⫸ What are common causes of delirium? Answer: Medical or
substance-related causes such as infection, drug intoxication, metabolic
imbalance, and surgery.
⫸ What is the treatment for delirium? Answer: Identify and treat the
underlying cause; delirium is often reversible if treated promptly.
, ⫸ What characterizes major neurocognitive disorder (dementia)?
Answer: Significant cognitive decline that interferes with independent
functioning, typically progressive and irreversible.
⫸ What are the core features of Parkinson's disease? Answer: Motor
disorder caused by dopamine deficiency, characterized by tremors,
rigidity, and slowness of movement.
⫸ What are the key characteristics of Huntington's disease? Answer:
Genetic disorder with progressive neurodegeneration, involuntary
movements, cognitive decline, and personality changes.
⫸ What is the clinical picture of Alzheimer's disease? Answer: Gradual
and progressive decline in memory, language, executive functioning,
and orientation.
⫸ What are the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease? Answer: Non-
modifiable: age, genetics, family history; Modifiable: cardiovascular
health, head injury, lifestyle factors.
⫸ What are the key brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease?
Answer: Beta-amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, loss of neurons,
and brain shrinkage.
⫸ What is vascular neurocognitive disorder? Answer: Caused by stroke
or reduced blood flow to the brain, characterized by stepwise cognitive
decline.
NOTES AND TRIAL EXAMS
COMPREHENSIVE TEST PAPER 2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
⫸ Which cognitive domains are affected by neurocognitive disorders?
Answer: Memory, attention, language, executive functioning, and
visuospatial ability.
⫸ What are some presumed causes of neurocognitive disorders?
Answer: Disease (e.g., Alzheimer's, Parkinson's), vascular events (e.g.,
stroke), infection, toxic exposure, nutritional deficiency, and head injury.
⫸ What distinguishes reversible from permanent causes of
neurocognitive disorders? Answer: Some causes are reversible, while
others are permanent or progressive.
⫸ What are common clinical signs of brain damage? Answer: Changes
in cognitive functioning, poor memory, reduced attention, disorganized
thinking, personality changes, and motor problems.
⫸ What is the difference between diffuse and focal brain damage?
Answer: Diffuse brain damage is widespread, while focal brain damage
affects a specific area.
,⫸ What are the clinical patterns associated with diffuse brain damage?
Answer: Global cognitive decline, generalized memory and attention
problems, and slower processing speed.
⫸ What are the clinical patterns associated with focal brain damage?
Answer: Deficits depend on the location of damage, such as language
problems from left hemisphere damage.
⫸ How can neurocognitive disorders interact with psychopathology?
Answer: They can mimic psychiatric disorders, exacerbate existing
mental illness, or be misdiagnosed.
⫸ What is delirium? Answer: A sudden, acute, and fluctuating
disturbance in consciousness and cognition.
⫸ What are the core symptoms of delirium? Answer: Disturbance in
attention and awareness, disorganized thinking, memory impairment,
and disorientation.
⫸ What are common causes of delirium? Answer: Medical or
substance-related causes such as infection, drug intoxication, metabolic
imbalance, and surgery.
⫸ What is the treatment for delirium? Answer: Identify and treat the
underlying cause; delirium is often reversible if treated promptly.
, ⫸ What characterizes major neurocognitive disorder (dementia)?
Answer: Significant cognitive decline that interferes with independent
functioning, typically progressive and irreversible.
⫸ What are the core features of Parkinson's disease? Answer: Motor
disorder caused by dopamine deficiency, characterized by tremors,
rigidity, and slowness of movement.
⫸ What are the key characteristics of Huntington's disease? Answer:
Genetic disorder with progressive neurodegeneration, involuntary
movements, cognitive decline, and personality changes.
⫸ What is the clinical picture of Alzheimer's disease? Answer: Gradual
and progressive decline in memory, language, executive functioning,
and orientation.
⫸ What are the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease? Answer: Non-
modifiable: age, genetics, family history; Modifiable: cardiovascular
health, head injury, lifestyle factors.
⫸ What are the key brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease?
Answer: Beta-amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, loss of neurons,
and brain shrinkage.
⫸ What is vascular neurocognitive disorder? Answer: Caused by stroke
or reduced blood flow to the brain, characterized by stepwise cognitive
decline.
