RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2019
Mental Health Nursing
Easy

When you ask the patient "What did you have for breakfast?", she answered "Roti, Katti, Matti, Patti, Thatti...". What is this response called as?

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, PB B.Sc Nursing Entrance-2019

Explanation

  • Clang association is a formal thought disorder where the choice of words is dictated by their sound (e.g., rhyming or puns) rather than their meaning.
  • The patient's response, "Roti, Katti, Matti, Patti, Thatti...", is a classic example of this, as the words are linked by rhyme and do not form a logical answer to the question asked.
  • This type of speech pattern is often observed in patients experiencing a manic episode or schizophrenia.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: Neologism is incorrect because the patient is not inventing a new word with a private meaning. Instead, they are stringing together words based on sound.
  • Option B: Verbigeration is the stereotyped, meaningless repetition of the same word or phrase. The patient's response is a series of different rhyming words, not a repetition of one word.
  • Option C: Flight of ideas involves rapid speech that jumps between different topics that are loosely connected. The patient's speech is connected by sound, not by shifting topics.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Disorders of Thought Process to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
  • Recognizing different types of thought disorders is a crucial nursing skill for conducting an accurate Mental Status Examination (MSE).
  • Documenting verbatim examples of the patient's speech (e.g., "Patient demonstrates clang association, stating 'Roti, Katti, Matti...' when asked about breakfast") provides clear, objective data for the healthcare team.
  • When communicating with a patient exhibiting clang associations, the nurse should use simple, direct questions and gently redirect the conversation to the topic at hand, avoiding reinforcement of the rhyming.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, carefully analyze the patient's verbal response provided in the question: "Roti, Katti, Matti, Patti, Thatti...".
  • Identify the primary characteristic of this speech pattern. Notice that the words are not related by meaning but by sound; they rhyme.
  • Next, review the definitions of the four options provided.
  • Neologism involves new words. Verbigeration is repetition. Flight of ideas is jumping topics. Clang association is linking by sound.
  • Match the identified characteristic (rhyming) with the correct definition. The rhyming pattern directly corresponds to the definition of clang association.
  • Therefore, select clang association as the correct answer.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Disorders of Thought Process
  • Stem keywords: What did you have for breakfast?, Roti, Katti, Matti, Patti, Thatti
  • Lead-in keywords: What is this response called as?
  • Clinical cues: Patient's speech pattern is rhyming and nonsensical in response to a direct question, indicating a formal thought disorder.

Question ID

QcsR5RvoTRLFHZtpoDOE6t

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 3795-3797

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 50-52

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