Systemic pathology: Pick disease: practice question

A Pathology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Pathology · Systemic pathology: Pick disease

Sample item

A 58-year-old man develops disinhibition, apathy and language disturbance with relatively preserved memory early on. MRI shows severe, knife-edge atrophy of the frontal and anterior temporal lobes. Histology shows ballooned neurons and round intraneuronal inclusions. Which protein forms these inclusions?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Tau

Pick disease is a form of frontotemporal lobar degeneration in which round cytoplasmic Pick bodies composed of tau accumulate in neurons. Alzheimer disease also involves tau, but there memory loss comes first and amyloid plaques are present.

Option by option

  • A. Prion protein

    Prion protein deposition causes spongiform change in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

  • B. Tau (correct)

    Correct. Pick bodies are composed of tau protein, and the disease is a frontotemporal tauopathy.

  • C. Beta-amyloid

    Beta-amyloid forms the extracellular plaques of Alzheimer disease.

  • D. Alpha-synuclein

    Alpha-synuclein forms Lewy bodies in Parkinson disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Pathology questions

Questions about this Pathology question

What is the answer to this Pathology question?

The best answer is B, Tau. Pick disease is a form of frontotemporal lobar degeneration in which round cytoplasmic Pick bodies composed of tau accumulate in neurons.

Why is "Prion protein" not the answer?

Prion protein deposition causes spongiform change in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Why is "Beta-amyloid" not the answer?

Beta-amyloid forms the extracellular plaques of Alzheimer disease.

Why is "Alpha-synuclein" not the answer?

Alpha-synuclein forms Lewy bodies in Parkinson disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Systemic pathology: Pick disease in Pathology. Alzheimer disease also involves tau, but there memory loss comes first and amyloid plaques are present.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Systemic pathology: Pick disease?

Learn each disease as a bundle: cause, key histology, markers, and the clinical hallmark. Then use the flashcards and the other Pathology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.