Metacognition in Functional Cognitive Disorder
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Memories of memory: Investigating how Functional Cognitive Disorder affects personal judgements of memory and visual ability.
IRAS ID
188539
Contact name
Catherine Pennington
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 27 days
Research summary
We constantly make judgements about our own intellectual functioning, such as estimating performance in exams, or writing down information you predict you will forget. This process is metacognition. Our judgements of our abilities and performance are not always correct, and this is particularly true for people with neurological and psychiatric problems.
One condition where metacognition appears to break down is Functional Cognitive Disorder (FCD). FCD is characterized by persistent subjective, distressing cognitive problems in the absence of any detectable neurological or general medical disease. Affected individual report a stereotyped pattern of problems – forgetting well known information but later remembering it (e.g. forgetting a PIN whilst at the cash machine); failing to sustain concentration; forgetting a task whilst on the way to complete it. ’Memory perfectionism’ is particularly characteristic: affected individuals expect a very high standard from their memory and are excessively concerned about minor lapses such as forgetting a colleague’s name or mislaying keys.
FCD is identified in up to a third of patients under sixty years of age in the memory clinic. The underlying cause is thought to psychological, possibly related to chronic stress and internal distractedness. Patients lose confidence in their memory, attention and decision making abilities.
It is unclear where and how metacognition breaks down in FCD. This study will investigate metacognition of memory and visual perception in FCD, and investigate the use of performance feedback as a potential therapy.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SW/0298
Date of REC Opinion
4 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion