Mental confusion

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Severe mental confusion of a degree considered pathological usually refers to loss of orientation (ability to place oneself correctly in the world by time, location, and personal identity), and often memory (ability to correctly recall previous events or learn new material). Confusion as such is not synonymous with inability to focus attention, although severe inability to focus attention can cause, or greatly contribute to, confusion. Together, confusion and inability to focus attention (both of which affect judgment) are the twin symptoms of a loss or lack of normal brain function (mentation).^{[citation needed]}

The milder degrees of confusion as pathological symptoms, are relative to previous function. Thus (for example) a mathematician confused about manipulation of simple fractions, may be showing pathology which would not be diagnosable in a person without training in this area. Thus, as with the case of delirium, the minor degrees of pathological confusion cannot be diagnosed without knowledge of a person's "baseline", or normal, level of mental functioning.^{[citation needed]}

Confusion may result from a relatively sudden brain dysfunction (see delirium). It may also result from chronic organic brain pathologies such as dementia. In either case, confusion is usually associated with some degree of loss of ability to focus attention, but (as noted) the association is not invariable, especially for lesser degrees of impairment.^{[citation needed]}

Many health problems may cause the syndromes of delirium or dementia. These syndromes may also occur together, and both of them usually include the symptom of confusion. Since mental function is extremely sensitive to health, the appearance of either a new confused state, or a new loss of ability to focus attention (delirium), may indicate that a new physical or mental illness has appeared, or that a chronic physical or mental illness has progressed (become more severe).^{[citation needed]}

Possible causes

Confusion, like inability to focus attention, is a very general and nonspecific symptom of brain or mental dysfunction. In addition to many organic causes of confusion relating to a structural defect or a metabolic problem in the brain (analogous to hardware problems in a computer), there are also some psychiatric causes of confusion, which may also include a component of mental or emotional stress, mental disease, or other "programming" problems (analogous to software problems in a computer).^{[citation needed]}

Causes of confusion are too many to list by specific pathology. However general categories of possible causes of mental confusion include:

Gross structural brain disorders

Head trauma (i.e., concussion, traumatic bleeding, penetrating injury, etc.)
Gross structural damage from brain disease (stroke, spontaneous bleeding, tumor, etc.)

Mental illness

Psychological stressors

Distraction
Emotional shock (great fear, grief, anger, etc.)

Possible co-existing symptoms

Confusion is a symptom. It may range from mild to severe. The confused state may include also:

Jumbled or disorganized thought
Unusual, bizarre, or aggressive behavior
Difficulty in solving problems or tasks, especially those known to have been previously easy for the person
Inability to recognize family members or familiar objects, or to give approximate location of family members not present.
Illusions
Hallucinations
Paranoia
Disorientation
Inability to focus attention (see delirium)
Drowsiness
Abnormal sleeplessness and/or hyperactivity

Cures

Confusion is a symptom, like shortness of breath or pain. Like other symptoms, the cure relates to the underlying cause.

Sources

Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content

Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .

Mental confusion

Possible causes

Gross structural brain disorders

Neurological disorders

General metabolic causes

Circulatory

Lack of essential metabolic fuels, nutrients, etc.

Toxication

Mental illness

Psychological stressors

Possible co-existing symptoms

Cures

Sources

Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content

Views

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