The Anatomical Basis of Anosognosia - Backgrounder SUMMARY Anosognosia, or lack of awareness of illness, is a common symptom of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with psychotic features. It is one of the most common reasons why individuals with these disorders often refuse to take medication. To date, 20 studies have been done looking at the relationship between anosognosia and the anatomical structure of the brain; 18 of the studies reported statistically significant correlations and 2 studies did not. The 2 negative studies focused on global brain measures, such as total brain or total ventricular volume. The 18 positive studies included many that focused on more specific brain structures. Two of the positive studies were of individuals with first-episode psychosis and included individuals who had never been treated with antipsychotic medications, thus ruling out medications as a cause of the observed brain changes. Regarding localization, it is now clear that anosognosia is not caused by damage to one specific area. Rather a person’s awareness of illness involves a brain network that includes the prefrontal cortex, cingulate, superior and inferior parietal areas, and temporal cortex and the connections between these areas. Damage to any combination of these areas can produce anosognosia, but damage to the prefrontal and parietal areas together make anosognosia especially likely. Anosognosia, or lack of awareness of illness, thus has an anatomical basis and is caused by damage to the brain by the disease process. It thus should not be confused with denial, a psychological mechanism we all use. Read More: treatmentadvocacycenter.org/about-us/our-reports-and-studies/2143
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 21:39:03 +0000
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