BEHAVIORAL LIMITATIONS TBI PATIENTS TEND TO UNDERESTIMATE - A REPLICATION AND EXTENSION TO PATIENTS WITH LATERALIZED CEREBRAL-DYSFUNCTION

Patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as patients with lateralized cerebral dysfunction, completed the Pati ent Competency Rating Scale (PCRS) along with a neuropsychological con trol group. Relatives or significant others for each patient also rate d the patient's abilities on the PCRS. A previous finding that TBT pat ients overestimate social interaction and emotional control skills was replicated. Patients with right versus left hemisphere lesions also t ended to show this same pattern, while the neuropsychological control group did not. Brain dysfunction may increase the tendency to overstat e certain behavioral characteristics irrespective of the location of t he lesion. Nonneurological factors, however, may also contribute to th is phenomenon. In this regard, it may be useful to distinguish between impaired self-awareness versus denial of disability after brain injur y.