Using and interpreting orientation examinations

Objective: To examine the base rate of disorientation in healthy persons as an interpretive aid for orientation examination findings in clinical cases . Method: One hundred volunteers participated in a brief orientation survey investigating 3 main variables: (a) time orientation, (b) place orientatio n, and (c) name recall (political figures and examiner's name). Results: To tal orientation score was not correlated with participant age, but educatio n was positively correlated with the ability to recall names. Whereas 95% o f the participants were fully oriented to place, only 76% were fully orient ed to time. Conclusions: Disorientation to place and disorientation to most aspects of time can be useful indicators of gross cognitive dysfunction. F ailing to know the exact date or day of the month is not useful according t o the relatively high base rate of errors found in a presumably healthy sam ple.