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Latgé-Tovar S, Bertrand E, Piolino P, Mograbi DC. The use of virtual reality as a perspective-taking manipulation to improve self-awareness in Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1376413. [PMID: 38725536 PMCID: PMC11079167 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1376413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Lack of awareness of symptoms or having a condition referred to as anosognosia is a common feature of individuals with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Previous literature on AD reported difficulties in evaluating self-abilities, often showing underestimation of limitations. There is increasing evidence that the perspective through which information is presented may moderate the performance appraisal and that anosognosia in AD might be a consequence of a deficit in assuming a third-person perspective. In this context, some studies showed that subjects may better recognize self-and other-difficulties when exposed to a third-person perspective. Considering the variety of approaches aiming to investigate the lack of awareness, there is still a scarcity of methods that provide great ecological validity and consider more than one facet of awareness, thus failing to offer more accurate evaluations of daily experiences. The present paper primarily addresses the theme of the multidimensional character of awareness of abilities in AD and the effect of perspective-taking on its trajectories. The focus turns to virtual reality as a promising tool for a greater evaluation of perspective-taking and self-awareness. Particularly, these systems offer the possibility to involve users in cognitive and sensorimotor tasks that simulate daily life conditions within immersive and realistic environments, and a great sense of embodiment. We propose that virtual reality might allow a great level of complexity, veracity, and safety that is needed for individuals with AD to behave according to their actual abilities and enable to explore the liaison between the subject's viewpoint, performance, and self-evaluation. In addition, we suggest promising clinical implications of virtual reality-based methods for individualized assessments, investigating specific impacts on subjects' life and possible improvements in their awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Latgé-Tovar
- Institute of Psychiatry - Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Elodie Bertrand
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition (LMC), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Pascale Piolino
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition (LMC), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Daniel C. Mograbi
- Institute of Psychiatry - Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Institute of Psychiatry – Psychology and Neuroscience King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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Alexander CM, Martyr A, Savage SA, Morris RG, Clare L. Measuring Awareness in People With Dementia: Results of a Systematic Scoping Review. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2021; 34:335-348. [PMID: 32400259 PMCID: PMC8326902 DOI: 10.1177/0891988720924717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Awareness of the diagnosis or related changes in functioning varies in people with dementia (PwD), with implications for the well-being of PwD and their carers. Measuring awareness in a clinical setting could facilitate tailored support and optimize involvement in personal health and care decisions. This scoping review aimed to identify validated methods of assessing awareness in dementia and appraise their clinical utility. METHOD A systematic search was conducted of English-language publications that measured awareness in PwD, in 6 electronic databases. Search terms included dement*, Alzheimer*, Pick disease, and awareness, unawareness, anosognosia, insight, denial, metacognit*, or discrepanc*. RESULTS We screened 30,634 articles, finding 345 articles that met our inclusion criteria. We identified 76 measures, most commonly using a discrepancy questionnaire comparing evaluations of function by PwD and an informant. There were 30 awareness measures developed and validated for use in dementia populations but few designed for general clinical use. CONCLUSIONS Although we found a range of clinical indications for measuring awareness, there were few studies investigating clinical applications and few tools designed for clinical purposes. Further investigation and development of a person-centered tool could facilitate health and care choices in mild-to-moderate dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M. Alexander
- University of Exeter Medical School, South Cloisters, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, United Kingdom,Catherine M. Alexander, University of Exeter Medical School, South Cloisters, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter EX1 2LU, United Kingdom.
| | - Anthony Martyr
- University of Exeter Medical School, South Cloisters, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Sharon A. Savage
- Psychology Department, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Laboratories, Streatham Campus, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Robin G. Morris
- King's College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Linda Clare
- University of Exeter Medical School, South Cloisters, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, United Kingdom
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Trindade PGE, Santos RL, Johannessen A, Neto JPS, Dourado MCN. Awareness of Functional Status: People with Alzheimer's Disease Abilities to Self-Report Impairment in Activities of Daily Living. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2020; 4:405-415. [PMID: 33283162 PMCID: PMC7683098 DOI: 10.3233/adr-200227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Awareness of functional status may underlie specific profiles and differences related to stage severity in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess self-reported experiences of awareness of functional activity in people with mild and moderate AD. METHODS This is a mixed methods approach. The qualitative part was conducted through semi-structured interviews concerning the experiences and awareness of deficits in 38 older adults with mild or moderate AD. The quantitative approach included a comparison between groups with regard to concerns of awareness and clinic and demographic data. RESULTS Impairment on awareness of disease and awareness of functional deficits was observed even in the mild stages of AD. There was also a noticeable progression of impairments of both kinds of awareness from mild to moderate stage of disease. The majority of participants with mild and moderate AD were partially aware of their functional deficits. Both groups of participants reported some negative impact; however, they were not able to entirely describe their functional status. Also, deficits to recognize the need for help with hygiene and general tasks were observed. Significant differences were found in awareness of need for help with general tasks and awareness of need for help with hygiene tasks. CONCLUSION People with mild and moderate AD may describe their aware of the disease better than specific functional deficits, and most of them can provide some reports concerning to the impact of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raquel Luiza Santos
- Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Aud Johannessen
- Norwegian Advisory Unit for Aging and Health Vestfold Health Trust, Tønsberg, Norway
- University College of Southeast Norway
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Denny A, Bartley K, Edwards S, Webbe F, LoGalbo A. AD8 patient-informant discrepancy predicts insight and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease. Geriatr Nurs 2020; 42:262-267. [PMID: 32891442 DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2020.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to improve understanding of insight among individuals with Alzheimer's disease using patient and informant ratings of impairment on the AD8. Retrospective cohort data were used from 540 patients with a mean age of 81.1 (SD = 6.57). Informant AD8s were inversely related to patients' Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores (r = -.20, p < .001), while patient AD8s were not. Meanwhile, those with greater patient-informant AD8 discrepancies (suggesting low insight) endorsed fewer cognitive items on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Those with greater AD8 discrepancies also had significantly lower MoCA scores. Ultimately, the informant AD8 alone appears useful for identifying patients' degree of cognitive decline. However, when used in combination with the patient AD8 to calculate a discrepancy score, patients' degree of cognitive decline and level of insight can be better ascertained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Denny
- Florida Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, Melbourne, FL, USA.
| | - Katie Bartley
- Florida Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, Melbourne, FL, USA
| | - Sean Edwards
- Florida Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, Melbourne, FL, USA
| | - Frank Webbe
- Florida Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, Melbourne, FL, USA
| | - Anthony LoGalbo
- Florida Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, Melbourne, FL, USA
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Mayelle A, El Haj M, Antoine P. Awareness of Self and Disease Assessment: Development and Validation of a Subjective Measure in People with Alzheimer’s Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 71:841-850. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-190371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Mayelle
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, CHU Lille, UMR 9193 – SCALab – Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
| | - Mohamad El Haj
- Univ. Nantes, EA 4638 – LPPL – Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire, Nantes, France
- Unité de Gériatrie, Centre Hospitalier de Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Pascal Antoine
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, CHU Lille, UMR 9193 – SCALab – Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
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Nicholas DB, Orjasaeter JD, Zwaigenbaum L. Considering Methodological Accommodation to the Diversity of ASD: A Realist Synthesis Review of Data Collection Methods for Examining First-Person Experiences. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-019-00164-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Lacerda IB, Sousa MFB, Santos RL, Nogueira MML, Dourado MCN. Concepts and objects of awareness in Alzheimer’s disease: an updated systematic review. JORNAL BRASILEIRO DE PSIQUIATRIA 2016. [DOI: 10.1590/0047-2085000000110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Objectives To compare and discuss the objects of awareness in Alzheimer’s disease (AD): awareness of cognitive deficits, of functional activities, of social-emotional functioning and behavioral impairment. Methods A search in the PsycINFo, Pilots, PubMed/Medline and ISI electronic databases according to Prisma methodology was performed. We included studies about awareness in people with AD published between 2010 and 2015, with the combination of keywords: “Alzheimer AND awareness of deficits”, “Alzheimer AND anosognosia”, “Alzheimer AND insight”, “dementia AND awareness of deficits”, “dementia AND anosognosia”, “dementia AND insight”. The articles were categorized according to the specific object of awareness. Results Seven hundred and ten records were identified and, after application of the exclusion criteria, 191 studies were retrieved for potential use. After excluding the duplicates, 46 studies were included. Most studies assessed the cognitive domain of awareness, followed by the functional, social-emotional, and behavioral impairment domains. Memory deficits were not sufficient to explain impaired awareness in AD. Longitudinal studies did not find discrepancies between patients and caregivers’ reports, indicating that awareness is not related to cognition. Conflicting findings were observed, including the relation between awareness, mood, severity of disease, and personal characteristics. Conclusions The studies show lack of conceptual consensus and significant methodological differences. The inclusion of samples without differentiation of dementia etiology is associated to symptomatic differences, which affect awareness domains. Awareness in AD is a complex and multidimensional construct. Different objects elicit different levels of awareness.
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Cognitive impairment and its consequences in everyday life: experiences of people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia and their relatives. Int Psychogeriatr 2015; 27:949-58. [PMID: 25644289 DOI: 10.1017/s1041610215000058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to explore experiences of cognitive impairment, its consequences in everyday life and need for support in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia and their relatives. METHODS A qualitative approach with an explorative design with interviews was chosen. The participants included five people with MCI and eight people with mild dementia and their relatives. All participants were recruited at a geriatric memory clinic in Sweden. The Grounded Theory method was used. RESULTS The following categories emerged: noticing cognitive changes; changed activity patterns; coping strategies; uncertainty about own ability and environmental reactions; support in everyday life; support from the healthcare system; consequences in everyday life for relatives; and support for relatives. The main findings were that people with MCI and dementia experienced cognitive changes that could be burdensome and changed activity patterns. Most of them, however, considered themselves capable of coping on their own. The relatives noticed cognitive changes and activity disruptions to a greater extent and tried to be supportive in everyday life. Degree of awareness varied and lack of awareness could lead to many problems in everyday life. CONCLUSIONS Perceived cognitive impairment and its consequences in everyday life were individual and differed among people with MCI or dementia and their relatives. Thus, healthcare professionals must listen to both people with cognitive impairment and their relatives for optimal individual care planning. Support such as education groups and day care could be more tailored towards the early stages of dementia.
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