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Each test can identify different possible problems, as described below.
ORIENTATION
Typically, orientation to time is first to be lost, then orientation to place, then to person. There are many possible causes for disorientation:
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Alcohol intoxication
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Low blood sugar
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Head trauma or concussion
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Fluid and electrolyte imbalance
- Nutritional deficiencies -- particularly lack of niacin, thiamine, vitamin C, or vitamin B-12
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Hyperthermia (fever)
- Hypothermia -- a drop in body temperature can cause sudden confusion
- Hypoxemia -- chronic pulmonary disorders can produce persistent confusion
- Environmental (such as heat stroke, heavy metal poisoning, hypothermia, or methanol intoxication)
- Drugs (such as atropine, chloroquine, cimetidine, CNS depressants in large doses, cycloserine, oral digitalis medicines, indomethacin, lidocaine, withdrawal from narcotics and barbiturates)
- Organic brain disease
ATTENTION SPAN
If you are unable to complete a thought, or are easily distracted by other stimuli, you may have an abnormal attention span. This may have a number of causes. A few examples are:
RECENT AND REMOTE MEMORY
Organic syndromes are indicated if there is a loss of recent memory, but remote memory remains intact. Remote memory is lost when there is damage to the upper part of the brain as occurs in Alzheimer's disease. See also memory loss.
WORD COMPREHENSION, READING, AND WRITING
These tests screen for aphasia. Some causes for aphasia include:
JUDGMENT
We exercise judgment in all of our daily activities, and the ability to determine an appropriate course of action is vital to survival in many situations. The following are some causes of impaired judgment:
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