2.2 Disturbances of attention

Question 1

Attention

Answer 1

the ability to focus in a sustained manner on one activity.

Question 2

Distractibility

Answer 2

the inability to concentrate, where attention is drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli.

Question 3

Hypervigilance

Answer 3

a condition of excessive attention with focus on all internal and external stimuli. Occurs, for example, in paranoid states and in posttraumatic stress disorder

Question 4

Suggestibility

Answer 4

the patient is inappropriately eager to please and responds in the affirmative to most questions in an unreliable fashion. Often exacerbated by doctors asking leading questions. Also occurs in very concrete patients.