Rare diseases · Sign or symptom

Diminished ability to concentrate

Poor concentration

HP:0031987

What it means

The inability to focus or concentrate on a specific task, activity, or object. The subject may find themselves unable to grasp or understand written text and re-reads frequently without understanding. Familiar tasks or activities are severely compromised due to the lack of ability to concentrate. Thinking through multi-step problems is typically very difficult or impossible, leading to avoidance of such activities.

Rare diseases that can present with this7

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Concentration problems · Labored thinking · Lack of concentration

Diminished ability to concentrate

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This page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.