Anosognosia is a condition in which a person who suffers disability due to brain injury, seems unaware of or denies the existence of their handicap. This may include unawareness of quite dramatic impairments, such as blindness or paralysis. It was first named by neurologist Joseph Babinski in 1914, although relatively little has been discovered about the cause of the condition since its initial identification. The word comes from the Greek words "nosos" disease and "gnosis" knowledge. The following codes are used with International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Brain damage or brain injury is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Paralysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. ... Neurology is the branch of medicine that deals with the nervous system and disorders affecting it. ... Joseph Jules François Félix Babinski (Józef Franciszek Feliks Babiński) (November 17, 1857–October 29, 1932) was a Polish-French neurologist. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Neurology

Anosognosia is relatively common following brain injury (e.g. 20-30% in the case of hemiplegia/hemiparesis after stroke), but can appear to occur in conjunction with virtually any neurological impairment. However, it is not related to global mental confusion (see delirium), cognitive flexibility, or other major intellectual disturbance. Anosognosia can be selective in that an affected person with multiple impairments may only seem unaware of one handicap, while appearing to be fully aware of any others. Hemiparesis is the partial paralysis of one side of the body. ... For other uses, see Stroke (disambiguation). ... Delirium is a medical term used to describe an acute decline in attention and cognition. ...

The condition does not seem to be directly related to sensory loss and is thought to be caused by damage to higher level neurocognitive processes which are involved in integrating sensory information with processes which support spatial or bodily representations (including the somatosensory system). Anosognosia is thought to be related to unilateral neglect, a condition often found after damage to the non-dominant (usually the right) hemisphere of the cerebral cortex in which sufferers seem unable to attend to, or sometimes comprehend, anything on a certain side of their body (usually the left). Senses are the physiological methods of perception. ... Neurocognitive is a term used to describe cognitive functions closely linked to the function of particular areas, neural pathways, or cortical networks in the brain. ... The somatosensory system is the sensory system of somatic sensation. ... Unilateral neglect is a disorder of attention where patients are unable to attend to stimuli, such as objects and people, located on one side of space. ... Location of the cerebral cortex Slice of the cerebral cortex, ca. ...

Psychiatry

Although largely used to describe unawareness of impairment after brain injury, the term 'anosognosia' is now also used to describe the lack of insight shown by some people who suffer from psychosis, and who may be unaware that their outlandish beliefs and experiences are in any way unusual. Those in a manic phase of bipolar disorder may also exhibit anosognosia. However, this usage of the term is controversial even among psychiatrists. [1] Psychosis is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state in which thought and perception are severely impaired. ... Bipolar disorder (previously known as manic depression) is a diagnostic category describing a class of mood disorders where the person experiences states or episodes of depression and/or mania, hypomania, and/or mixed states. ...

Treatment

There are currently no long-term treatments for anosognosia, although, like unilateral neglect, Caloric reflex testing (squirting ice cold water into the left ear) is known to temporarily ameliorate unawareness of impairment. It is not entirely clear how this works, although it is thought that the unconscious shift of attention or focus caused by the intense stimulation of the vestibular system temporarily influences awareness. Most cases of anosognosia appear to simply disappear over time, while other cases can last indefinitely. Normally, long-term cases are treated with cognitive therapy to train the patient to adjust for their inoperable limb/s (though it is believed that these patients still are not "aware" of their disability). Unilateral neglect is a disorder of attention where patients are unable to attend to stimuli, such as objects and people, located on one side of space. ... In medicine, the caloric reflex test is a test of the vestibulo-ocular reflex. ... Look up Attention in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Research

Due to its disabling effects, anosognosia is now being increasingly studied. Researchers of this condition include neurologists Vilayanur S. Ramachandran and Oliver Sacks, and neuropsychologist George Prigatano. Neurology is the branch of medicine that deals with the nervous system and disorders affecting it. ... Dr. Vilayanur Ramachandran on an episode of PBSs NOVA Television program. ... Oliver Sacks Oliver Wolf Sacks (born July 9, 1933, London) is a neurologist who has written popular books about his patients. ... Neuropsychology is a branch of psychology that aims to understand how the structure and function of the brain relate to specific psychological processes. ...

See also

• Brain damage
• Unilateral neglect
• Vilayanur S. Ramachandran
• Oliver Sacks
• Dunning-Kruger Syndrome

Brain damage or brain injury is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. ... Unilateral neglect is a disorder of attention where patients are unable to attend to stimuli, such as objects and people, located on one side of space. ... Dr. Vilayanur Ramachandran on an episode of PBSs NOVA Television program. ... Oliver Sacks Oliver Wolf Sacks (born July 9, 1933, London) is a neurologist who has written popular books about his patients. ... Dunning-Kruger Syndrome is the phenomenon whereby people who have little knowledge systematically think that they know more than others who have much more knowledge. ...

Further reading

• Prigatano, G. and Schacter, D. (eds) (1991) Awareness of Deficit After Brain Injury: Clinical and Theoretical Issues. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195059417
• Anosognosia: The neurology of beliefs and uncertainties. Vuilleumier, P. (2004) Cortex, 40, 9-17.
• Vilayanur S. Ramachandran (1998) Phantoms in the Brain New York: Quill (HarperColling Publishing). ISBN 0688172172