Impaired awareness of deficits in Alzheimer's disease: the role of everyday executive dysfunction

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 (R(2) = .32). We also found hypo manic mood orientation and a tendency through apathy to be prominent indications of reduced behavioral awareness (R(2) = .13).