title: Measuring illness insight in patients with alcohol-related cognitive dysfunction using the Q8 questionnaire: a validation study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Impaired illness insight may hamper treatment outcome in patients with alcohol-related cognitive deficits. In this study, a short questionnaire for the assessment of illness insight (eg, the Q8) was investigated in patients with Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) and in alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients with mild neurocognitive deficits.
  
  
  METHODS
  First, reliability coefficients were computed and internal structure was investigated. Then, comparisons were made between patients with KS and patients with AUD. Furthermore, correlations with the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) were investigated. Finally, Q8 total scores were correlated with neuropsychological tests for processing speed, memory, and executive function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Internal consistency of the Q8 was acceptable (ie, Cronbach's α =0.73). The Q8 items represent one factor, and scores differ significantly between AUD and KS patients. The Q8 total score, related to the DEX discrepancy score and scores on neuropsychological tests as was hypothesized, indicates that a higher degree of illness insight is associated with a higher level of cognitive functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Q8 is a short, valid, and easy-to-administer questionnaire to reliably assess illness insight in patients with moderate-to-severe alcohol-related cognitive dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen.
authors.forename: Serge Jw
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Walvoort
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen; Reinier van Arkel Mental Health Institute, 's-Hertogenbosch.
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: van der Heijden
authors.affiliation: Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen.
authors.forename: Roy Pc
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Kessels
authors.affiliation: Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen; Centre of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jos Im
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Egger
keywords: Korsakoff’s syndrome; alcohol use disorder; anosognosia; cognition; illness insight; neuropsychological assessment