Dysfunctions in concentration become apparent when a patient cannot keep their attention focused during lengthy responses and forgets what they are talking about. The concentration span is tested by giving the patient an arithmetic problem to solve, such as 100 -7, -7, -7, -7, etc. Solving the problem accurately is not the important issue here, but noting if the patient can continue counting and can keep track of where they are in the process of solving the problem. Dysfunctions in concentration frequently coincide with attention dysfunctions, and may be indicative of anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia, but mainly of cognitive disorders.
