Abstract
Anosognosia, impairment insight and unawareness of deficits are used as equivalent terms in this study.OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the presence of anosognosia symptoms and cognitive domains, functional abilities, and neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (pAD) and elderly controls (EC).METHODSTwenty-one pAD (14 women) and twenty-two EC (16 women) were submitted to a neuropsychological battery of tests assessing global cognitive status, and specific cognitive functions: memory, executive and attention functions, verbal fluency and visuoconstructive abilities. Additionally, functional abilities (FAQ) and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPI) were measured.RESULTSThe linear regression statistical test found general anosognosia to be associated with subjective memory complaints, age and Arithmetic-DRS in the EC group. On the other hand, cognitive and functional abilities scores (Arithmetic-DRS, IQCODE and FAQ) were the best predictors in pAD patients, particularly for behavioral awareness.CONCLUSIONThese results indicated that different variables are associated with self-awareness for pAD patients and EC, but for both groups executive functions appear to play an important role, contributing particularly to awareness of behavioral changes.
Highlights
The term “anosognosia” was originally coined to describe the lack of insight into hemiplegia following right hemisphere stroke.[1]
In order to examine the presence of anosognosia in elderly adults without cognitive impairment, we explored the relationship between awareness of deficits and cognitive performance
We carried out a case control study in a convenience sample of 43 participants, of whom were patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and healthy elderly controls (EC). probable Alzheimer’s disease (pAD) patients were recruited from a larger pool of participants at the Geriatric Medical Center, University Hospital of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil, and were examined by a social worker, a neuropsychologist, and a geriatrician
Summary
The term “anosognosia” was originally coined to describe the lack of insight into hemiplegia following right hemisphere stroke.[1]. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, and is a pathology where we can observe anosognosia symp-. Satler C, Tomaz C Anosognosia and behavioral changes in AD 197. Toms[2,3] that can occur in up to 81% of individuals with AD.[4] there is considerable inter-person variability in the presentation of anosognosia in AD.[5]. Among AD patients, studies have demonstrated that anosognosia is common in early stages of the disease, and have suggested that impairment of insight increases with severity of the dementia.[6]
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