title: Cognitive components of deficit awareness in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Awareness of deficit was examined in 24 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their spouses (for a total of 48 participants) using performance prediction-postdiction and questionnaire discrepancy (QD) paradigms. Participants estimated their own memory performances as well the performances of spouses and of a fictional, memory-disordered patient observed on videotape. Patients overpredicted self-performances, but the extent of overestimation decreased for postdictions. Patients and caregivers accurately estimated caregiver performances but overestimated performances of the fictional patient. QD data revealed that patients underestimated their difficulties performing daily functioning tasks as compared with caregiver reports. Awareness of deficit is a complex ability, involving dissociable cognitive processes. AD patients may display intact immediate awareness of memory dysfunction but fail to incorporate incidents of memory failure into generalized self-belief systems.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Service Line, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Duke
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seltzer
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Seltzer
authors.forename: Jennifer J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Vasterling
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease; D001364:Awareness; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index