The Study of Anosognosia

ABOUT THIS BOOK

This book focuses on impaired self-awareness which, by its nature, is extremely interesting to many individuals. Perhaps the most dramatic example is when the individual has a right hemisphere stroke and is unaware of their hemiplegia. Understanding the brain mechanisms that allow the individual to eventually become aware of their neurological impairments is, of course, of major interest to scientists as well as clinicians and the lay public. This book attempts to provide our most recent understanding of this complicated phenomenon.

The study of anosognosia has witnessed an unprecedented increase in interest over the last 20 years. This has resulted in numerous empirical investigations as well as theoretical writings on the nature of human consciousness and how disorders of the brain may influence the person's subjective awareness of a disturbed neurological or neuropsychological function. This edited text attempts to summarize many of the advances that have taken place in the field of anosognosia. It reviews research findings on anosognosia for hemiplegia following stroke, Anton's syndrome, and a variety of disorders in which impaired self-awareness is common. It also provides suggestive guidelines for the management and rehabilitation of persons who have anosognosia or impaired self-awareness. .

Readership: Neuropsychologists, cognitive and behavioral neurologists, cognitive neuroscientists, neurorehabilitationists, psychiatrists, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, and those involved in neurorehabilitation.

AUTHOR INFORMATION

George Prigatano, Chairman, Section of Neuropsychology, and Director Postdoctoral Training Program in Clinical Neuropsychology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA