title: Anosognosia, neglect and quality of life of right hemisphere stroke survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anosognosia and neglect may coexist in stroke patients. Neglect patients often report poor quality of life (QOL), whereas patients suffering from other cognition disorders with poor insight report better QOL. This study investigates the relationship between anosognosia, neglect and QOL amongst stroke survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stroke survivors who met the criteria were used as a sampling pool. Sixty stroke patients were observed in this study, amongst whom 20 patients with anosognosia and neglect (A+N+), 20 patients with neglect but not anosognosia (A-N+) and 20 patients with neither anosognosia nor neglect (A-N-) were selected from the sampling pool based on demographic characteristics matched with the A+N+ group. A questionnaire (SS-QOL) was used to collect the QOL perceived by the stroke survivors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The perceived QOL of the A+N+ group was significantly better than those of the other groups, including the subscales of self-care, mobility, work/productivity, upper extremity, mood, family role and social role. However, the A+N+ group had poor balance level and more fall incidents were reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The A+N+ group perceived better QOL but had more falls and poorer balance than the other groups. Health providers should work with caregivers aggressively in preventing accidents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: W-M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: S-W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: C-A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Tung
authors.forename: L-W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: L-C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000377:Agnosia / Q000209:etiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology
keywords: anosognosia; balance; falls; neglect; quality of life; stroke