Orientation (mental)

Orientation is a function of the mind involving awareness of three dimensions: (1) time, (2) place and (3) person. Problems with orientation lead to disorientation , and can be due to various conditions, from delirium to intoxication. Typically, disorientation is first in time, then in place and finally in person.

The exact cerebral region involved in orientation is uncertain, but both lesions of the brain stem and the cerebral hemispheres have been reported to cause disorientation, suggesting that they act together in maintaining awareness and its subfunction of orientation.