Marie Geurten1,2,3, Eric Salmon1,2,4, Christine Bastin1,2,3. 1. GIGA Cyclotron Research Center, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. 2. Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. 3. National Fund for Scientific Research, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium. 4. Memory Center, Department of Neurology, CHU de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Impairments of metacognitive skills represent a critical symptom in Alzheimer Disease (AD) because it frequently results in a lack of self-awareness. However, recent findings suggest that, despite an inability to explicitly estimate their own cognitive functioning, patients might demonstrate some implicit recognition of difficulties. In this study, we tested whether a behavioral dissociation between explicit and implicit measures of metacognition can be found in both healthy older controls (n = 20) and AD patients (n = 20). METHODS: Our two groups of participants (AD vs. Controls) were asked to complete a forced-choice perceptual identification test and to explicitly rate their confidence in each decision (i.e. explicit measure of metacognition). Moreover, they also had the opportunity to ask for a cue to help them decide if their response was correct (i.e. implicit measure of metacognition). RESULTS: Data revealed that all participants asked for a cue more often after an incorrect response than after a correct response in the forced-choice identification test, indicating a good ability to implicitly introspect on the results of their cognitive operations. On the contrary, only healthy participants displayed metacognitive sensitivity when making explicit confidence judgments. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that implicit metacognition may be less affected than explicit metacognition in Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVES: Impairments of metacognitive skills represent a critical symptom in Alzheimer Disease (AD) because it frequently results in a lack of self-awareness. However, recent findings suggest that, despite an inability to explicitly estimate their own cognitive functioning, patients might demonstrate some implicit recognition of difficulties. In this study, we tested whether a behavioral dissociation between explicit and implicit measures of metacognition can be found in both healthy older controls (n = 20) and ADpatients (n = 20). METHODS: Our two groups of participants (AD vs. Controls) were asked to complete a forced-choice perceptual identification test and to explicitly rate their confidence in each decision (i.e. explicit measure of metacognition). Moreover, they also had the opportunity to ask for a cue to help them decide if their response was correct (i.e. implicit measure of metacognition). RESULTS: Data revealed that all participants asked for a cue more often after an incorrect response than after a correct response in the forced-choice identification test, indicating a good ability to implicitly introspect on the results of their cognitive operations. On the contrary, only healthy participants displayed metacognitive sensitivity when making explicit confidence judgments. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that implicit metacognition may be less affected than explicit metacognition in Alzheimer's disease.
Authors: Jonathan D Huntley; Stephen M Fleming; Daniel C Mograbi; Daniel Bor; Lorina Naci; Adrian M Owen; Robert Howard Journal: Alzheimers Dement (N Y) Date: 2021-11-29