What the exam asks
- Section I (Multiple Choice): Expect scenario questions asking which symptom or disorder a person’s behavior is most consistent with (e.g., distinguishing a delusion of grandeur from a hallucination, or catatonic stupor from flat affect). Set-based questions often present graphs of twin concordance rates or neuroimaging findings to test biological etiology.
- Section II (AAQ and EBQ): Research summaries frequently examine risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders or treatment efficacy for schizophrenia. On the EBQ, the dopamine hypothesis or diathesis-stress model are useful psychological concepts to apply in Parts B(ii) and C(ii).
Core ideas
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Neurodevelopmental disorders involve developmental deficits that produce impairments in personal, social, academic, or occupational functioning. They have their onset in the developmental period (typically early childhood), and clinicians judge symptoms against norms for age-appropriate behavior.
| Disorder | Core Symptoms | Proposed Causes (Genetic, Physiological, Environmental) |
|---|---|---|
| Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) | Persistent pattern of inattention (difficulty sustaining focus, disorganization) and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity (fidgeting, excessive talking, interrupting) that is extreme for the person’s developmental age and occurs across multiple settings. | High heritability; delayed maturation or lower activity in the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia; prenatal exposure to teratogens (such as nicotine or alcohol) or extreme premature birth. |
| Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) | Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction (e.g., difficulty with social-emotional reciprocity, nonverbal cues, and theory of mind) alongside restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities (e.g., insistence on sameness, repetitive motor movements, hyper- or hyporeactivity to sensory input). | Strong genetic component (high monozygotic twin concordance and spontaneous genetic mutations); atypical brain connectivity and early brain overgrowth; advanced parental age and prenatal environmental factors. |
Schizophrenic spectrum disorders
Schizophrenic spectrum disorders are characterized by psychosis—a severe disconnection from reality involving disruptions in thought, perception, emotion, and motor behavior.
Clinicians categorize symptoms as positive (the presence of excess or distorted behaviors not seen in healthy individuals) or negative (the absence or reduction of normal functions).