What is anosognosia?

• A. Lack of awareness of one's deficits.
• B. Heightened awareness of one's deficits.
• C. Memory loss due to hippocampal damage.
• D. A visual processing disorder.

Answer: (A)

Anosognosia is a failure to recognize or acknowledge one’s own neurological or cognitive deficits. After some brain injuries or strokes, especially in the right hemisphere, a person may be unaware of problems like paralysis or sensory loss, even when others can clearly observe them. For example, someone may insist they can move a paralyzed limb, or deny they have any deficit at all. This isn’t about memory loss from the hippocampus or a visual processing problem; it’s about a lack of self-awareness of the impairments. This condition can make rehabilitation harder because the person may not see a reason to try to compensate or seek help. It’s distinct from being overly concerned about deficits or from other types of disorders that affect memory or vision.