Examination and Disturbance of Perception (MSE)

1. Overview & Definitions

Perception = the uptake of stimuli through the sensory organs and their integration in the mind (Gajdos). Perception is the bridge between the external world and the inner mental representation; when it breaks down, the patient may act on a world that is not there.

The Debrecen (Gajdos) lecture classifies perceptual disorders into three groups — memorise this skeleton, the examiner builds the whole topic on it:

1. Perceptual distortions — a real stimulus is perceived but altered in size, shape, colour, intensity or familiarity.
2. Productive disorders — the illusion and the hallucination (the high-yield core).
3. Loss symptoms — a