"Anosognosia for prospective and retrospective memory deficits: Assessment and theoretical considerations": Correction to Chapman et al. (2019)

Neuropsychology. 2021 Sep;35(6):668. doi: 10.1037/neu0000752. Epub 2021 May 13.

Abstract

Reports an error in "Anosognosia for prospective and retrospective memory deficits: Assessment and theoretical considerations" by Silvia Chapman, Nicoletta Beschin, Stephanie Cosentino, Mitchell S. V. Elkind, Sergio Della Sala and Gianna Cocchini (Neuropsychology, 2019[Oct], Vol 33[7], 1020-1031). In the article (http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/neu0000568), the racial and ethnic description of the participants was missing. The following text has been added to the first paragraph under the "Participants" heading in the "Method" section: "The racial and ethnic distribution of the participants was 76.5% (n = 39) White, 13.7% (n = 7) Black, 5.9% (n = 3) Hispanic, and 3.9% (n = 2) Asian." The online version of this article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2019-33671-001.) Objective: Patients who suffer from memory loss after an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) may also suffer from anosognosia, or unawareness of their memory loss. How we define and measure anosognosia can have critical implications for its study and clinical assessment. Commonly used measures often lack standardization and reliability checks for responses. Moreover, these methods rely heavily on cognitive abilities (e.g., language abilities) that are often affected after brain injury. The aim of this study is to elucidate how to best conceptualize and detect anosognosia for memory loss by introducing a new method of assessment, the Visual-Analogue Test for Anosognosia for memory impairment (VATAmem). Method: A total of 51 patients (M = 61 years, M = 13 years of education) with memory difficulties after ABI were recruited from outpatient clinics. A total of 73 informants were also recruited (M = 51 years old, M = 13 years of education). Both patients and informants evaluated the severity of patients' everyday memory mistakes on the VATAmem, for prospective and retrospective memory deficits by using visual analogue scales, vignettes, and check questions to ensure reliability. Results and Conclusion: A total of 30% of the patients were deemed unaware of their memory deficits. Patients were less aware of their prospective (29%) than their retrospective memory difficulties (18%). The new method of assessment provided by the VATAmem reduced possible false positives and enhanced reliability. We conclude that careful consideration of methodology is a key step to interpreting anosognosia findings within a theoretical framework. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

MeSH terms

  • Agnosia* / diagnosis
  • Agnosia* / etiology
  • Humans
  • Memory Disorders / diagnosis
  • Memory Disorders / etiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Prospective Studies
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Retrospective Studies