ABSTRACT
Difficulties in attention or concentration are observed in many clinical syndromes.
Cognitive studies of normal attention and neuropsychological studies of brain dysfunction
indicate that attention reflects a variety of mechanisms. These processes include
the startle response, the orienting response, selective attention, vigilance, and
divided attention. Understanding the specific mechanisms involved in attention deficits
or lapses may be helpful in planning and evaluating remediation programs and in altering
patients' environments to compensate for specific attention deficits. In this article,
forms of attention and disorders of attention are discussed, with emphasis on their
importance to every day activities.
KEYWORD
Attention - cognition - neuropsychology - language