A crippling and life-threatening disease
If you've ever been close to a sick person who denies that anything is wrong, you'll know how frustrating it can be. Taking care of someone who does not want to help themselves is very challenging, and their denial can even feel insulting at times. In certain cases, however, the sick person may not be denying the existence of their illness on purpose. Instead, they may be suffering from anosognosia, a neurological condition that leaves a person unable to recognize or acknowledge their psychiatric condition.
Anosognosia is often mentioned in the same breath as Alzheimer's, but they are not one and the same. Curious? Check out this gallery to learn more.
According to clinical care tool StatPearls, anosognosia is defined as "a neurological condition in which the patient is unaware of their neurological deficit or psychiatric condition."
A person suffering from anosognosia is unable to recognize and acknowledge their own health issues. It can sometimes seem like they are being stubborn or in denial, when actually there is a processing problem at play.
Anosognosia can arise as result of several conditions, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, aneurysm, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.
While it is common in people with a variety of mental diseases, it is most commonly seen in Alzheimer’s patients. Indeed, you might have heard people referring to "anosognosia Alzheimer’s."
It is important to note, however, that anosognosia Alzheimer’s is not a separate condition. Rather, anosognosia is a symptom that can present in cases of Alzheimer’s.
Experts are not certain about what causes anosognosia, but they believe that it is caused by damage to the area of the brain that is responsible for self-reflection.
Whenever we receive new information about ourselves, for example after getting a new haircut, the frontal lobe of our brains processes that information in order to update our self-image.
This process of updating our self-image is complex and ongoing, and when the frontal lobe is damaged it no longer works properly.
This means that a person with anosognosia cannot update their self-image in order to incorporate the illness with which they have been diagnosed.
This condition is not always all or nothing. Indeed, some people only partially lose the ability to see themselves clearly, while in other patients it comes and goes.
As previously mentioned, the majority of clinicians do not believe anosognosia is a condition in itself. This means that people suffering from it do not receive a diagnosis, per se.
However, if a doctor suspects that their patient may have anosognosia, they may investigate by way of interviewing the patient and asking them questions about their cognitive function.
The doctor then asks the same question of the patient’s family members, in order to be able to compare the responses.
Discrepancies between the patient’s and family members’ interview responses, in conjunction with the results from cognitive testing, may lead a doctor to conclude the patient is suffering from anosognosia.
When it comes to diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease, doctors may also use interviews and cognitive testing.
However, in the case of Alzheimer’s, they also use laboratory tests to rule out other diseases and measure the degenerative proteins in the brain.
Since anosognosia is directly linked with cognitive decline, any lifestyle habits that help protect the brain will help stave off anosognosia.
In other words, the same techniques used to prevent Alzheimer’s disease will also help prevent anosognosia.
When it comes to protecting brain health, one of the most important things we can do is make sure to get regular physical exercise.
Moving our bodies not only promotes physical health, but also helps protect the memory and thinking centers of the brain.
Diet also plays a key role, and there is evidence to suggest that a Mediterranean-style diet is best for the brain, since it helps reduce brain inflammation and oxidative stress.
Finally, it is also important to have sufficient social interactions. These help stimulate neural activity and delay the onset and progression of symptoms.
Anosognosia itself has no cure, so the best way to treat it is to treat the underlying disease itself. In the case of Alzheimer’s, direct therapies currently do not exist.
This means that the best option for Alzheimer’s patients is to continue taking their prescribed medications. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for people to refuse their medication when suffering from anosognosia.
In theory, engaging in brain training, such as puzzles or matching games, should help correct and improve some of the faulty circuits in the brain.
However, trying to convince someone to do brain training when they don’t think there is anything wrong with them is a futile exercise at best.
Indeed, the vast majority of clinicians agree that trying to convince someone they are suffering from anosognosia is not an effective form of treatment.
Instead, the advice for people taking care of anosognosia sufferers is to try and connect with what they are feeling and avoid trying to convince them of your perspective.
It can also be a good idea to simplify their routine and keep them safe by ensuring they don’t attempt tasks outside of their current ability level, such as driving or managing finances.
Anosognosia can be very challenging for the people taking care of its sufferers. Perhaps the most important takeaway is to remember that an anosognosia patient does not choose to deny their symptoms.
Sources: (U.S. News & World Report) (WebMD)
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HEALTH Cognition
If you've ever been close to a sick person who denies that anything is wrong, you'll know how frustrating it can be. Taking care of someone who does not want to help themselves is very challenging, and their denial can even feel insulting at times. In certain cases, however, the sick person may not be denying the existence of their illness on purpose. Instead, they may be suffering from anosognosia, a neurological condition that leaves a person unable to recognize or acknowledge their psychiatric condition.
Anosognosia is often mentioned in the same breath as Alzheimer's, but they are not one and the same. Curious? Check out this gallery to learn more.