Anosognosia after stroke: assessment, occurrence, subtypes and impact on functional outcome reviewed

This review provides an update on recent research findings concerning the methods used in the assessment of anosognosia, the occurrence and subtypes of anosognosia, the association between anosognosia and neglect, and the impact of anosognosias on functional outcome.

A systematic review covering the period from 1995 to 2005 was carried out on reports drawn from electronic databases (MEDLINE, PSYCHLIT) and identified from the references in these reports. Twenty-seven articles met the selection criteria.

The results of this review are in line with previous findings in the following respects: anosognosia was more often associated with right hemisphere damage, neglect and anosognosia co-occurred, and anosognosia had predictive value on poor functional outcome. The variation in the methods used in the assessment of anosognosia, patient samples and assessment times influence the occurrence rates and the predictive value of anosognosia, which might undermine the generalizability of the results.

More homogeneous patient samples and consistency in the assessment methods and evaluation times would facilitate comparisons of the occurrence and the impact of anosognosia on functional outcome. New methods need to be developed for the assessment of anosognosia. These new methods should take account of the subtypes of anosognosia both at verbal and at non-verbal levels.