Syndrome of diffuse attention: causes, symptoms, treatment

Broken attention is one of the forms of inattention, in which it is difficult for a person to concentrate attention.

The pathogenesis of development and symptomatology can vary depending on the nature of the disease.

Causes of the scattered attention

The causes of diffuse attention are not due to genetic predisposition, the disease is acquired during the life of the patient. This pathology can occur for various reasons, since it does not belong to the category of nosocpecific. Among the main reasons are:

• fatigue, insomnia, prolonged or frequent deprivation of sleep, lack of diversity in daily activities
• mental illness (anxiety disorder, depression)
• psychosomatics (in the absence of a desire to engage in a particular case, a person can not concentrate on it)

Thus, the risk factors are the absence of a daily regimen, laborious and lengthy work, mental illness. The exact cause is unknown, but it has been established that the upbringing, living, working or teaching conditions for the development of scattered attention do not affect.

In the event that distracted attention was diagnosed in childhood, its symptoms may appear later. According to statistics, 4% of children aged 6 to 17 years have this symptom, 60% of them have difficulty concentrating in adulthood. Among patients older than 18 years, 5% of patients are diagnosed with this pathology. It can be both acquired at an older age, and be a consequence of such a disorder in childhood. It is believed that boys are more susceptible to distracted attention in childhood than girls. Distracted attention in adults is manifested evenly in both sexes.

[1], [2]

Symptoms

The syndrome of diffuse attention has a different symptomatology depending on the type of the disease and the individual characteristics of the patient. Combine all kinds of the first signs of the syndrome, when it is difficult for a person to concentrate attention on a particular activity or subject.

There are 6 types of syndrome.

1. Inattention is true, or dissipation. This condition is almost identical to prostration. The causes most often are sleep deprivation, monotonous labor, fatigue. The subcategory of true inattention is road hypnosis, which is manifested in drivers during the long driving of a car and consists in feeling a failure in time.

The main symptoms are:

• complete disconnection from important things in the environment of a person, including planned actions
• lack of interest in anything, boredom
• prostration
• vague thoughts and feelings
• the attention of a person wanders, he can not concentrate on something definite for a long time.

2. Student absent-mindedness. Dissipated attention in the schoolboy manifested in the syndrome of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, with other psychopathologies.

The main symptoms are:

• activity, excessive mobility
• distracted attention, it's hard to concentrate on one subject

3. Stares absent-mindedness. It occurs in elderly patients. The reason is scattered concentration and attention is not concentrated enough.
4. Cognitive inattention, or selective. This kind of motor inattention manifests itself with respect to such things as the familiar external environment, the pulse, the sound of the clock.
5. Motivationally-conditioned absent-mindedness of attention. Described by Z. Freud, manifests itself in cases when a person makes efforts to divert from certain phenomena, people, objects.
6. Imaginary distracted attention. This kind of inattention is a consequence of internal concentration. There are 3 subtypes of imaginary inattention:

• "Professorial" manifests itself in solving complex problems and tasks, while there is no emotionality, thoughts are clearly directed to a specific goal and are organized
• "Poetic" is manifested in the case of a person's dreaminess
• "Target hypnosis" is often found in representatives of certain professions, for example, in military pilots, when attention is focused on one goal.

Diagnostics of the scattered attention

Diagnosis of distracted attention occurs by observing the patient in the event that within 6 months there are certain symptoms. Subsequently, the patient may be asked to undergo some tests.

In children, the syndrome is diagnosed through:

• collection of data from parents
• collection of data from a place of study or kindergarten
• examination of the child by a specialist for violations
• high-grade diagnostics.

In adults, the syndrome is diagnosed through general patient indications of anxious symptoms and complete diagnosis. It should be noted that adult patients neglect symptoms and do not turn to specialists, which should not be done with distracted attention because of possible negative consequences.

[3], [4],

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis is performed to determine the exact etiology, as the cause of the manifestation may be depression, epilepsy, head trauma, ADHD (in children) and other pathologies.

[5], [6]

Treatment of the scattered attention

Treatment is determined by a specialist, based on specific symptoms and characteristics. The main type of treatment is psychological correction. It is strictly forbidden to use any means arbitrarily.

Treatment of absent-minded attention with the help of medications implies the use of such medications as:

• psychostimulants

Assign exclusively for moderate to severe disease.

One of the tools that a specialist can appoint is Adderall (Adderall). It is mainly used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. Refers to the pharmacological group of amphetamine stimulants. Usually the drug is washed down with a glass of water, and a reception is prescribed in the morning, but the exact dosage is determined by a specialist. It is strictly forbidden to deviate from the prescribed measure, because of the development of addiction, allergic reactions, anxiety, cephalgia, intestinal disorders, insomnia among side effects. It is strictly forbidden to take Adderalla atherosclerosis, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases, glaucoma, drug or alcohol dependence.

• non-stimulants

With scattered attention caused by ADHD, a sympathomimetic preparation of the central effect of Stratter is often prescribed. This medication can be prescribed to patients of all age groups over 6 years. Contraindications are heart defects, glaucoma, hypersensitivity to components. Side effects include digestive disorders, central nervous, urinary and cardiovascular systems, impaired vision and skin. Assign the drug once a day or 2 times, subject to dividing the daily dose by half. Recommended intake of doses from 80 to 120 (maximum) milligrams.

• antidepressants

These medications help in cases where the cause of distracted attention is associated with depression. It should be noted that antidepressants are not as effective in improving focus, but with depression or anxiety disorders, they can directly eliminate the cause.

Thus, fluoxetine is relatively easy to perceive by the body. The drug is taken for 3-4 weeks, 1 capsule once a day, mostly in the morning. Fluoxetine is prohibited from taking during pregnancy and lactation, kidney or liver failure, suicidal tendencies. It is extremely cautiously prescribed this drug for epilepsy, diabetes, Parkinson's disease. You can also note Maprotiline. The drug is taken 3 times a day for 50 milligrams. It is forbidden to use remedy for glaucoma, kidney and liver pathologies, prostate adenoma. Possible side effects in the form of allergies, tachycardia, intestinal disorders, vision problems.

An effective drug is Encephabol. This drug refers to drugs that normalize metabolic processes in the brain tissues. Encephabol in tablets is prescribed 2 tablets 3 times a day. The drug should be washed down with water. Contraindications include pregnancy and lactation, intolerance to pyrithinol and fructose.

In addition, prescribe vitamins in the form of multivitamin complexes and physiotherapy treatment.

As an auxiliary therapy, you can use herbal medicine. So, the most effective are the melissa, the initial letter, the hawthorn, the northern breakout. Alternative treatment is also used:

1. The dried root of mountain ash is insisted for 4-6 hours in boiling water based on the proportion of 1 tbsp. L. Root on 200 ml of water. Take the infusion, evenly distributing the above dose for use during the day, half an hour after each meal. The course of treatment is 1 month.
2. Pine kidneys insist on boiling water based on the proportion of 1 tbsp. L. Root on 200 ml of water. Take a regular amount of infusion during the day after a meal. Contraindications are kidney pathologies.
3. Evenly mixed fresh carrot and beet juices are consumed 3 times a day after meals.
4. It is believed that the inhalation of aromas of essential oils of rosemary, mint, eucalyptus, basil helps.

When referring to homeopathy, it is recommended to pay attention to such drugs:

• Calculator phosphoric (most commonly prescribed 3, 6 and 12 dilutions)
• Hamomilla (minimum 6 dilutions)
• Sulfur (a dose is prescribed by a specialist, often 6 or 30 dilutions)
• Medorrinum (a dose is prescribed by a specialist, most often in combination with other drugs)

Contraindications are hypersensitivity to drugs.

Complications and consequences

When untimely diagnosis of distracted attention in a child, the syndrome can accompany the patient in adolescence and adulthood.

Broken attention in the adolescent leads to such negative consequences as:

• problems with learning;
• personal insolvency;
• poor behavior at the place of training;
• subsequent lack of achievements

This syndrome in adults can provoke such negative consequences as:

• non-punctuality, constant distracted attention and forgetfulness;
• frequent anxiety;
• low self-esteem;
• problems with communication;
• impulsiveness, uncontrolled anger, mood swings;
• procrastination;
• low level of resistance to stress;
• inability to organize business;
• problems with concentration during reading;
• boredom;
• development of depression;
• asociality, isolation;
• low position in society;
• bad habits (abuse of nicotine, alcohol);
• frequent change of sexual partners;
• scattered memory and attention.

[7], [8], [9]

Prevention

To prevent diffuse attention in a child under the ADHD future mother in pregnancy should abandon nicotine, which doubles the risk of developing the syndrome.

For the prevention of the symptom in general, you must observe the regime of the day, eliminate fatigue and lack of sleep, lead an active lifestyle.

Forecast

Dissipated attention in children with ADHD is excluded in the future in 30% of cases, as this percentage of children develops this syndrome with age. In many children ADHD is transformed into a persistent chronic syndrome with accompanying distracted attention.

With the timely diagnosis of this condition in adults, distracted attention can be eliminated by curing the cause of its occurrence.

Dissipated attention in children with ADHD is excluded in the future in 30% of cases, as this percentage of children develops this syndrome with age. In many children ADHD is transformed into a persistent chronic syndrome with accompanying distracted attention.

With the timely diagnosis of this condition in adults, distracted attention can be eliminated by curing the cause of its occurrence.