Executive Functions and Insight in Brain Injury
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Executive Functions and Insight in Brain Injury
IRAS ID
345927
Contact name
Natasha Sigala
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Sussex
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
In this project I aim to investigate the relationship between self-awareness and executive functions in patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). A common clinical problem encountered in the rehabilitation of ABI patients is that patients frequently lack awareness of the effects of the injury, particularly the emotional and cognitive changes. It is not uncommon for patients with significant cognitive deficits and emotional disturbance to insist that nothing has changed compared to their pre-injury state. This can make rehabilitative interventions very challenging, as rehabilitation is essentially a collaborative process which requires active patient participation, and it is well established that lack of self-awareness is associated with poorer outcomes.
There is a need for better understanding of this important clinical issue to identify new treatment approaches that may improve self-awareness and maximise functional outcomes. Executive functions include cognitive processes such as working memory, attention, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. Specifically, I will test whether poor-insight ABI patients have a different neuropsychological profile than their good-insight counterparts. I will also test whether improvements in clinical presentation following inpatient neuropsychological treatment have a positive effect on insight, executive functions or both.REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
25/IEC08/0003
Date of REC Opinion
27 Mar 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion