RRB Nsg. Superintendent 21 July 2019 (shift 1st)
Medical & Surgical Nursing
Easy

A pre senile degenerative disease of the brain affecting the frontal lobe is called?

Appeared in: RRB Nsg. Superintendent 21 July 2019 (shift 1st)

Explanation

  • Pick's disease is a form of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a group of disorders caused by progressive nerve cell loss in the brain's frontal or temporal lobes.
  • The defining characteristic that matches the question is its pre-senile onset (typically before age 65) and its primary impact on the frontal lobes.
  • This frontal lobe atrophy leads to the hallmark early symptoms: significant changes in personality, social behavior, and language, rather than the memory loss typical of Alzheimer's disease.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: The Oedipus complex is a concept from Freudian psychoanalytic theory related to psychosexual development in children.
  • Option B: Orgasm is a normal physiological response to sexual stimulation.
  • Option D: A neologism is a symptom, specifically a speech disturbance where a person creates new words. It is not a disease itself.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
  • Visual 1: Diagram - An illustration comparing a healthy brain with a brain affected by Pick's disease, highlighting the pronounced atrophy (shrinkage) in the frontal and temporal lobes.
  • Visual 2: Microscopic Image - A slide showing a neuron with a Pick body, the characteristic protein inclusion, to illustrate the cellular pathology.
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: Knowing Neurocognitive Disorders and Dementia helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
  • Nurses must differentiate between types of dementia because management strategies differ. For patients with Pick's disease, managing behavioral symptoms (like disinhibition or apathy) is a primary nursing challenge, unlike the memory-focused care in early Alzheimer's.
  • Patient safety is a major concern. The impaired judgment from frontal lobe damage can lead to unsafe behaviors. Nurses must create a safe, structured environment and educate families on risk mitigation.
  • What if? - If the question described a senile (late-onset) disease with initial memory loss and parietal lobe involvement, Alzheimer's disease would be the more likely answer.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, dissect the question stem to identify the key defining features: 1) 'pre-senile' (early onset), 2) 'degenerative disease of the brain', and 3) affects the 'frontal lobe'.
  • Next, evaluate each option against these three criteria.
  • Eliminate 'Oedipus complex' and 'Orgasm' immediately as they are not brain diseases.
  • Differentiate between the remaining options. 'Neologism' is a symptom, not a disease itself, which leaves only one option.
  • Confirm that 'Pick's disease' matches all key features. It is a known pre-senile, degenerative disease that characteristically affects the frontal lobes.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Neurocognitive Disorders and Dementia
  • Stem keywords: pre senile, degenerative disease, brain, frontal lobe
  • Lead-in keywords: is called

Question ID

QPo56atCzcvOkXvCchuw_9

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