Clouding of consciousness

There is an increasing lack of contact with the world, with dulling of mental abilities and a feeling of confusion. Temporal disorientation results in confusion as to time of day, day of the week. The individual is aware that he cannot think clearly, that he cannot concentrate. The next stage may be disorientation as regards place, the individual starts to lose his way and be unsure of landmarks. Then there is unsureness as to the identity of friends and relatives. There are disturbances in memory and the capacity for abstract thought and reasoning deteriorates. Social awareness diminishes, leading to inappropriate behaviour in public. Although the individual may initially worry about the changes that are occurring, he subsequently becomes indifferent and may deny what is happening. Finally there is delirium, responding to hallucinations of the senses, and then coma. Clouding of consciousness is a symptom of a number of disorders, including brain injury and senility.