%A Shannon Juengst
%T Personal factors contributing to deficits in self-awareness of cognitive impairment
%X 75 subjects, 52 HIV+ and 23 HIV- but considering themselves to be at risk for HIV, completed a psychosocial interview based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), the Patient's Assessment of Own Functioning (PAOF) questionnaire, and a battery of neuropsychological tests. Subjects were then categorized into one of three clinical impairment groups and one of three self-reported impairment groups. Based upon the differences between their clinical impairment group and self-reported impairment group, subjects were classified as being aware, having limited awareness, or having poor awareness. Factors correlated with deficits in awareness included age and performance on the Digit Symbol test and a test of simple reaction time. In addition, those with more severe cognitive impairment were less aware than those who were normal or borderline. A one-way ANOVA suggested that the poor awareness group differed significantly from both the aware and limited awareness groups on the Digit Symbol test and the Rey Figure Immediate and Delayed Recall. The aware and limited awareness groups were not significantly different for any factor. Overall, poor awareness was associated with poorer test performance. In those with HIV/AIDS, age was inversely related to self-awareness, with those who were older and impaired demonstrating better awareness than those who were younger and impaired. This research has implications for understanding poor awareness in HIV/AIDS and for creating appropriate and effective rehabilitation plans.
%D 2007
%K cognitive disability
%I University of Pittsburgh
%L pittir8765