Researchers have discovered why some patients are unaware of their neurological or physical deficits, a phenomenon called anosognosia.
- Researchers have discovered a brain network common to visual and motor anosognosia.
- In this network, the brain area responsible for memory, the hippocampus, is involved.
- This means that becoming aware of a deficit requires memory.
“Anosognosia is a patient’s lack of awareness of their deficits. defines Thomas Guieysse, doctoral student in neurosciences, IM2A, Pitié-Salpêtrière AP-HP in a video for the Alzheimer Research Foundation. In a new study, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital found a brain network common to two types of anosognosia (motor and visual) and which involves the hippocampus, ie memory. Their work has been published in the journal Annals of Neurology.
Anosognosia: dhe brain networks for each form of the disorder
More specifically, the scientists wanted to identify the brain networks involved in motor and visual anosognosia. The first is the fact of not being aware of his motor disorders while the second consists of not being aware of his vision problems. In other words, patients are persuaded to walk or see like everyone else.
During their work, the researchers mapped 267 brain connections associated with loss of vision (with and without consciousness) or weakness (with and without consciousness as well). This allowed them to identify the networks involved in each of the two forms of anosognosia.
The hippocampus plays a role in recognizing a deficit
But the scientists have also identified a shared brain network for these two types of anosognosia: the one responsible for the awareness of the deficits. In this network, the hippocampus has a very important role.
“These are the first results [scientifiques] which made it possible to identify the role of the hippocampus in (…) visual anosognosia, explains Isaiah Kletenik, one of the authors. The structures associated with memory are necessary to recognize a deficit by comparing [la vision actuelle] information stored in memory, while [se rendant compte de] his performance [actuelles] compared to previous capacities.“
The hippocampus is a region of the brain responsible for the functioning of memory and learning. The researchers therefore believe that memory is necessary to recognize a deficit… When there is a non-perception of the disorders, as is the case when a patient is suffering from anosognosia, the hippocampus is therefore involved.