ABSTRACT
Consciousness is a complex function that has evolved and been selected for its adaptive benefits. It mediates information gathering and responsiveness in both the internal milieu and the external world. Consciousness is the mental condition of a normal person when awake, which implies responsiveness to stimuli and awareness of the self and environment, and involves interaction with multiple ongoing neurobehavioral activities. Consciousness and social comprehension participate in a wide range of behaviors that Bradshaw considers socially positive or socially negative. The cerebral cortex exchanges stimulation with the Ascending Reticular Activating System, which is part of a network extending from the medulla to the midbrain. Diffuse injuries cause widespread dysfunction of both cerebral hemispheres and disconnect the diencephalons- or brainstem-activating centers from hemispheric activity. Clouded consciousness and confusion can cause posttraumatic amnesia to be commonly misinterpreted by the patient to be loss of consciousness.
