Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) survivors often report psychosocial and
emotional changes, including a diminished capacity for decision making.
However, systematic investigations into the nature of the changes have
been limited to those patients surviving SAH secondary to aneurysms of the
anterior communicating artery. This study aimed to explore the nature of
decision making in survivors of SAH secondary to aneurysms of the middle
cerebral or posterior communicating artery using a series of computerized
tasks. Twenty SAH survivors and 20 matched controls completed a battery of
computerized decision-making tasks. These included tasks examining an
individual's ability to make probabilistic choices and risk-taking
behavior, as well as tasks examining aspects of impulsivity. The results
revealed two key patterns of abnormal decision-making behavior in the SAH
survivors: altered sensitivity to both reward and punishment, and
impulsive responding. These complex deficits may contribute to
difficulties in daily living resulting from apathy, poor judgment, or
inhibition in SAH survivors. (JINS, 2006, 12,
697–706.)