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Connecting Self-Awareness and Error-Awareness in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2015

Paul M. Dockree ,
Yvonne M. Tarleton ,
Simone Carton  and
Mary C.C. FitzGerald
Paul M. Dockree*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology & Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Yvonne M. Tarleton
Affiliation:
School of Psychology & Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Simone Carton
Affiliation:
National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Mary C.C. FitzGerald
Affiliation:
School of Psychology & Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: Paul M. Dockree, School of Psychology, Aras an Phiarsaigh, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2. E-mail: dockreep@tcd.ie
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Abstract

Impaired self-awareness after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often seen in stark contrast to the observations of significant-others, who are acutely aware of the difficulties experienced by patients. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between metacognitive knowledge in daily life and emergent awareness of errors during laboratory tasks, since the breakdown of error detection mechanisms may impose limitations on the recovery of metacognitive knowledge after TBI. We also examined the extent to which these measures of awareness can predict dysexecutive behaviors. A sample of TBI patients (n=62) and their significant-others, provided reports of daily functioning post injury. In addition, patients underwent a neuropsychological assessment and were instructed to signal their errors during go/no-go tests. Interrelationships between metacognitive and emergent levels of awareness were examined, after controlling for the influence of secondary cognitive variables. Significant-other ratings correlated with errors made by the patients on neuropsychological tests but not with their premorbid function. Patients who under-reported daily life difficulties or over-reported their competency, compared to significant-other reports, were less likely to show awareness of laboratory errors. Emergent awareness was also identified as the sole predictor of performance on the modified six-element test, an ecologically valid test of multitasking. The online breakdown of error awareness after brain injury is related to difficulties with metacognitive awareness as reported in daily life, and is also predictive of dysexecutive behaviors. These findings are discussed in the context of multidimensional and neural models of awareness and error monitoring. (JINS, 2015, 21, 473–482)

Keywords

VolitionIntentionGoalsExecutive functionNeuropsychologyCaregivers
Type
Research Articles
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 21 , Issue 7 , August 2015 , pp. 473 - 482
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2015 

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