Loss of Insight in AD

Apathy was significantly correlated with decreased right temporoparietal perfusion and problem behaviors. Loss of insight was significantly correlated with decreased right temporo-occipital perfusion and impairment in daily functioning. Dementia severity as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was a poor predictor of behavioral problems or daily functioning. These data suggest that global measures of cognitive ability, which are weighted toward measuring left hemisphere function, are less important as indicators of management problems in AD than are measures of right hemisphere function such as motivation and insight.

J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1996; 8:41-46
BR Ott, RB Noto and BS Fogel
Roger Williams Medical Center Division of Neurology, Providence, RI 02908, US
http://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/8/1/41