The problem of cognitive Impairments awareness in patients with memory defects

This article discusses the problem of cognitive deficits awareness in patients with focal brain lesions. Clinical observations and experimental studies made by authors, suggest that cognitive deficits awareness are not always result of poor critical thinking, impaired programming and control component of activity. In patients with expressed impairments of memory function, awareness deficits are bounded up with inability to hold, generalize and analyze everyday life experience in memory. Herewith, not only the awareness processes are impaired in such patients, but new compensatory strategies of current activity are not forming. The second round of the issues, discussed in this paper, is connected with problems of correction and rehabilitation training. Rehabilitation training is based on gradual bringing of formed mechanisms of difficulties to consciousness. The third aspect of the discussing problem is connected with qualification of memory impairments. In some cases, the experimental data do not allow us to talk about the overall severity of cognitive deficits. The integrative evaluation of memory function in patients can be supplemented by studies of auto reflection processes.