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Review
. 2020 Jul 14:11:1697.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01697. eCollection 2020.

Executive Dysfunction and Reduced Self-Awareness in Patients With Neurological Disorders. A Mini-Review

Martina Amanzio  1   2 , Massimo Bartoli  1 , Giuseppina Elena Cipriani  1 , Sara Palermo  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Executive Dysfunction and Reduced Self-Awareness in Patients With Neurological Disorders. A Mini-Review

Martina Amanzio et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Awareness of deficits in patients with neurological disorders may be described as a theoretical unitary phenomenon, which has been analysed reaching interesting results in the last decades. Awareness of deficits manifests itself in a continuum ranging from full awareness to total absence. In line with a neurocognitive approach, a reduction in self-awareness could be explained considering executive dysfunction associated with prefrontal cortex anatomo-functional changes. Our mini-review will focus on reduced self-awareness in neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, behavioural Frontotemporal Dementia and Acquired Brain Injuries. Results achieved thanks to an explanatory investigative approach combined with a theoretical reference model will be presented. Data suggest the key role of executive functions in supporting adequate self-awareness towards patients' cognitive-behavioural profile and instrumental activity autonomy. The Cognitive Awareness Model seems to be one of the best theoretical model to better approach this phenomenon.

Keywords: Acquired Brain Injury; Alzheimer’s disease; Cognitive Awareness Model; behavioural Frontotemporal Dementia; executive functions; reduced self-awareness.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
A graphical representation of the model proposed by Stuss et al. (2001) and Stuss and Anderson (2004). The figure describes input information processing starting from the sensory/perceptual knowledge level up to basic EFs and executive-metacognitive functions that pertain to the MPFC, with its core hub in MCC.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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