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Updated: Feb 17, 2026

Examining the Characteristics of Episodic Memory using Event-related Potentials in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: August 30, 2011
Cognitive anosognosia and behavioral changes in probable Alzheimer's disease patients
1PhD, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Ceilandia, UnB, Brasilia DF, Brazil.
Abstract:
Anosognosia, impairment insight and unawareness of deficits are used as equivalent terms in this study.
Objective:
To investigate the relationship between the presence of anosognosia symptoms and cognitive domains, functional abilities, and neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (pAD) and elderly controls (EC).
Methods:
Twenty-one pAD (14 women) and twenty-two EC (16 women) were submitted to a neuropsychological battery of tests assessing global cognitive status, and specific cognitive functions: memory, executive and attention functions, verbal fluency and visuoconstructive abilities. Additionally, functional abilities (FAQ) and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPI) were measured.
Results:
The linear regression statistical test found general anosognosia to be associated with subjective memory complaints, age and Arithmetic-DRS in the EC group. On the other hand, cognitive and functional abilities scores (Arithmetic-DRS, IQCODE and FAQ) were the best predictors in pAD patients, particularly for behavioral awareness.
Conclusion:
These results indicated that different variables are associated with self-awareness for pAD patients and EC, but for both groups executive functions appear to play an important role, contributing particularly to awareness of behavioral changes.
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