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Impaired Awareness of Deficits in Alzheimer's Disease: The Role of Everyday Executive Dysfunction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 September 2012

Martina Amanzio ,
Lene Vase ,
Daniela Leotta ,
Renato Miceli ,
Sara Palermo  and
Giuliano Geminiani
Martina Amanzio*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), University of Turin, Turin, Italy National Institute Neuroscience, Turin, Italy
Lene Vase
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark Danish Pain Research Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C, Denmark
Daniela Leotta
Affiliation:
Martini Hospital, Alzheimer Assessment Unit, UVA and Neurology Unit, Turin, Italy
Renato Miceli
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), University of Turin, Turin, Italy
Sara Palermo
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), University of Turin, Turin, Italy
Giuliano Geminiani
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), University of Turin, Turin, Italy National Institute Neuroscience, Turin, Italy
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: Martina Amanzio, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, 10123 Turin, Italy. E-mail: martina.amanzio@unito.it
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Abstract

The present study analyzed the awareness of deficits in 117 mild Alzheimer's disease participants. Since few studies have examined the cognitive and behavioral domains of reduced awareness in detail, we performed a domain-specific assessment using the Awareness of deficit Questionnaire – Dementia scale with the novel aim of describing the relationship with everyday executive dysfunction. Through the use of the subtests of the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome, we hypothesized that executive cognitive functions may play an important role in the reduced awareness of deficits. We also considered other variables of interest to provide a novel comprehensive explanation of this phenomenon. Our first approach to the study was a factor analysis considering the role of these variables in the awareness of deficits; subsequently, regression analysis models were used to define which variables were associated with a reduction of awareness in cognitive and behavioral domains. In particular, the factors retained from the factor analysis, in terms of inhibition, self-monitoring, set-shifting, and mood orientation changes, appear to be important skills for awareness of instrumental activities of daily living (R2 = .32). We also found hypo manic mood orientation and a tendency through apathy to be prominent indications of reduced behavioral awareness (R2 = .13). (JINS, 2013, 18, –)

Keywords

Impaired awareness of cognitive deficitsImpaired awareness of behavioral deficitsExecutive functionsBehavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive SyndromePrincipal components analysisMultiple regression analysis
Type
Research Articles
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , January 2013 , pp. 63 - 72
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2012

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