INTROSPECTIVE CAPACITIES IN PATIENTS WITH COGNITIVE DEFICITS AFTER SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE

Examined 58 patients after subarachnoid hemorrhage by means of neurops ychological tests, a self-report questionnaire, proxy ratings, and per sonality forms. The degree of cognitive impairment showed only a sligh t association with an impairment self-rating scale (r = .32, p > .01). On the other hand, the proxy impairment ratings correlated well with the degree of cognitive disturbance (r = .68, p > .001). Self-rated im pairment correlated substantially with depression (r = .63, p > .001). A 2 x 2 analysis of variance showed a significant two-way interaction (p = .014) between depression and cognitive disturbance explaining th e subjective impairment rating. Depressive patients tended to maximize their actual degree of impairment. Patients with right parietal and/o r frontal infarcts showed significantly less depression and illness co ncern than did patients with infarcts at other locations, although bot h groups had a comparable degree of cognitive and self-rated impairmen t.