Gp. Prigatano, BEHAVIORAL LIMITATIONS TBI PATIENTS TEND TO UNDERESTIMATE - A REPLICATION AND EXTENSION TO PATIENTS WITH LATERALIZED CEREBRAL-DYSFUNCTION, Clinical neuropsychologist, 10(2), 1996, pp. 191-201
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.