Impaired awareness of deficits in early Alzheimer disease through a bio-psycho-social perspective

The awareness of illness is referred to the knowledge of persons to recognize their disturbances; this is well described in different clinical pathologies. The multidimensional nature of the awareness concept helps to explain why very different constructions of awareness are available in the literature of various disciplines. In particular, awareness sometimes is not preserved in people with dementia of Alzheimer type. Theoretical models of unawareness may, therefore, have greater clinical utility in these contexts if they allow for the possibility of integrating neurobiological and psychosocial levels of explanation. Such a model should comprehend a convergent analysis of these levels. With this aim, a series of variables of interest will be considered from a convergent perspective at the neurobiological, psychological-psychiatric and psychosocial levels of explanation.