title: Executive dysfunction, awareness deficits and quality of life in patients with cerebral small vessel disease: a structural equation model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationships between executive dysfunction, awareness deficits and perceptions of quality of life (QOL) in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We tested neuropsychological function with simultaneous measurement of awareness performance in 125 participants. Forty-five were carefully phenotyped patients with SVD, defined as a lacunar stroke with corresponding infarct on neuroimaging; and 80 were age-matched controls, providing a normal comparison for neuropsychological measures. Patients also completed the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale. In patients with SVD, the impact of executive dysfunction on awareness and QOL was examined simultaneously using structural equation modeling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A simple regression indicated a positive relationship between awareness and QOL. However, when executive function was added to the model, the results showed strong relationships between executive function and awareness, and executive function and QOL, but no direct relationship between awareness and QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that the main neuropsychological symptom associated with SVD, namely, executive dysfunction, may predict both reductions in awareness and QOL. However, there is no direct impact of awareness deficits on QOL in patients with SVD, when executive function is included in the model.
authors.affiliation: Stroke and Dementia Research Centre, St. George's, University of London.
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Brookes
authors.affiliation: Stroke and Dementia Research Centre, St. George's, University of London.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.affiliation: Stroke and Dementia Research Centre, St. George's, University of London.
authors.forename: Selina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: Stroke and Dementia Research Centre, St. George's, University of London.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hannesdottir
authors.affiliation: Stroke and Dementia Research Centre, St. George's, University of London.
authors.forename: Hugh S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Markus
authors.affiliation: Stroke and Dementia Research Centre, St. George's, University of London.
authors.forename: Robin G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D059345:Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*