People who get lost very often everywhere, even in the most familiar
surroundings such as their neighbourhood, the place where they work, or their own house, may suffer from Developmental Topographical Disorientation (DTD), a lifelong condition that is present from childhood.
People with DTD have no problems with their memory or attention but they are unable to form a mental map of the environment (cognitive map), and for this reason they get lost all the time. The ability to represent the environment and its environmental landmarks in our mind is a very important skill for spatial orientation and navigation.
To find out and learn more about DTD, please visit
www.gettinglost.ca and www.neurolab.ca, and follow us on twitter at @giuiaria.
