Eating and sleep disorders: nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy: practice question

A Psychiatry 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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Psychiatry · Eating and sleep disorders: nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy

Sample item

A 22-year-old man has up to twenty brief nocturnal episodes a week in which he suddenly sits up, thrashes his legs and shouts, always in the same stereotyped way, each lasting under a minute. He is difficult to arouse afterward. Which test is most useful?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Video-polysomnography with extended EEG montage

Stereotyped, frequent, brief hypermotor events from sleep suggest nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy, which is often mistaken for night terrors or sleepwalking. Parasomnias are less frequent, less stereotyped and arise from slow-wave sleep. Video-EEG polysomnography distinguishes them.

Option by option

  • A. Multiple sleep latency test

    The multiple sleep latency test evaluates daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy.

  • B. Overnight pulse oximetry

    Oximetry screens for sleep apnoea and does not identify seizures.

  • C. Video-polysomnography with extended EEG montage (correct)

    Correct. Video-EEG polysomnography can capture the events and show epileptiform activity.

  • D. Actigraphy

    Actigraphy measures rest and activity cycles, and cannot characterise these events.

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.

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Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is C, Video-polysomnography with extended EEG montage. Stereotyped, frequent, brief hypermotor events from sleep suggest nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy, which is often mistaken for night terrors or sleepwalking.

Why is "Multiple sleep latency test" not the answer?

The multiple sleep latency test evaluates daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy.

Why is "Overnight pulse oximetry" not the answer?

Oximetry screens for sleep apnoea and does not identify seizures.

Why is "Actigraphy" not the answer?

Actigraphy measures rest and activity cycles, and cannot characterise these events.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Eating and sleep disorders: nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy in Psychiatry. Parasomnias are less frequent, less stereotyped and arise from slow-wave sleep. Video-EEG polysomnography distinguishes them.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. 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 Eating and sleep disorders: nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy?

Learn each diagnosis by its core features and its first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other Psychiatry 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.