Conscious

Conscious refers to the state of being aware of and able to think and perceive one's surroundings, thoughts, and feelings. It is a complex mental state involving awareness, attention, and alertness. The conscious mind includes everything that we are aware of and able to report we are experiencing.

Definition

The term conscious is derived from the Latin word 'conscius', which means "knowing with", or "aware". In the medical field, consciousness is assessed by observing a patient's arousal and responsiveness, and can be seen as a spectrum, ranging from full alertness and understanding, through disorientation, delirium, loss of meaningful communication, and finally loss of movement in response to painful stimuli.

Levels of Consciousness

There are various levels of consciousness including full consciousness, hypnosis, meditation, sleep, coma, and anesthesia. Consciousness can also be lost temporarily, for instance in faints or in certain types of anesthesia.

Assessment of Consciousness

The level of consciousness of a person can be assessed using a variety of methods such as the Glasgow Coma Scale, the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale, and the Alert, Verbal, Painful, Unresponsive scale.

Disorders of Consciousness

There are several disorders related to consciousness, including coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, locked-in syndrome, and brain death.

See Also

• Coma
• Vegetative State
• Minimally Conscious State
• Locked-in Syndrome
• Brain Death

References

Conscious Resources
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