Definition
Anosodiaphoria is defined as the failure to fully appreciate the significance of a neurological deficit as a result of a brain lesion.
Current Knowledge
Following certain injuries to the brain, most commonly strokes in the right hemisphere, a patient may fail to recognize (deny) the resulting neurological deficit(s), such as paralysis. This latter condition is known as anosognosia. With time, patients typically show increased awareness of the deficit. For example, if asked, they might acknowledge that a stroke has occurred and that their ability to use their arm or leg has been affected. However, the patient might fail to fully appreciate the extent or functional implications of the deficit, attribute it to another more benign factor (such as being right-handed), or otherwise appear relatively unconcerned about it. This latter condition has been termed anosodiaphoria (Adair et al. 2003; Critchley 1969). Thus, while acknowledging that his arm and/or leg are/is “weak,” a...
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References and Readings
Adair, J. C., Schwartz, R. L., & Barrett, A. M. (2003). Anosognosia. In K. Heilman & E. Valenstein (Eds.), Clinical neuropsychology (4th ed., pp. 185–214). New York: Oxford University Press.
Critchley, M. (1969). The parietal lobes. New York: Hafner.
Heilman, K. M., Blonder, L. X., Bowers, D., & Valenstein, E. (2003). Emotional disorders associated with neurological diseases. In K. M. Heilman & E. Valenstein (Eds.), Clinical neuropsychology (4th ed., pp. 447–478). New York: Oxford University Press.
Prigatano, G. P., & Schacter, D. L. (Eds.). (1991). Awareness of deficit after brain injury. Oxford: New York.
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Mendoza, J.E. (2018). Anosodiaphoria. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_702
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_702
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