Awareness of memory loss after severe closed-head injury.
This study investigated unawareness of memory loss in 48 severe closed-head injury patients. Awareness was measured as the correlation of patients' memory test scores with their self-ratings on the Everyday Memory Questionnaire (EMQ). Patients who endorsed atypical memory failures on the EMQ were classified as invalid responders. Invalid responders had poorer memory test performances and a higher rate of focal left hemispheric lesions, but did not report greater emotional symptoms. Correlations between memory test scores and memory self-ratings were weaker among invalid responders or those classified as depressed, and stronger among valid responders, especially those classified as non-depressed. The results indicate that the validity of memory self-reports is influenced by both neurogenic and psychogenic factors, and suggest that invalid responding is an important problem with self-reports by brain-injured patients.
Boake
C
C
Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, Houston, TX, USA.
Freeland
J C
JC
Ringholz
G M
GM
Nance
M L
ML
Edwards
K E
KE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000647:Amnesia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001364:Awareness; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D012803:Sick Role; D014706:Verbal Learning