Which category best represents metabolic disturbances that can mimic psychiatric illness and present with altered mental status?

• A. Thyroid disorders
• B. Vitamin deficiencies
• C. Metabolic disturbances (electrolytes, glucose)
• D. Infections

Answer: (C)

When mental status changes are driven by chemical imbalances in the body, brain function can be disrupted in ways that resemble psychiatric illness. The most important concept here is that metabolic disturbances—especially abnormalities in electrolytes and glucose—can produce confusion, agitation, delirium, or even coma and can look like a primary psychiatric disorder.

This category fits best because changes in electrolytes or glucose directly alter brain physiology and are classic, rapidly reversible medical causes of altered mental status. They’re a frequent, urgent reason to assess medical status in someone who seems psychotic or mood-disordered.

Other options can also affect mood or cognition, but they don’t center on acute chemical imbalances in the body: thyroid disorders are endocrine, vitamin deficiencies are nutritional, and infections are infectious processes. In practice, checking glucose and electrolytes early helps distinguish metabolic causes from primary psychiatric illnesses.