What causes anosognosia?

What causes anosognosia?

Anosognosia can happen for many different reasons, all of which fall into one of two categories:

• Brain damage.
• Degenerative diseases.

Brain damage

Your brain is prone to injury like any part of your body. Damage to your brain causes injuries called lesions. Lesions that cause anosognosia can happen for any of the following reasons:

• Aneurysms.
• Brain tumors (including cancerous and non-cancerous growths).
• Head injuries such as concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
• Cerebral hypoxia (brain damage from lack of oxygen).
• Infections (such as those that cause encephalitis).
• Seizures and epilepsy.
• Sleep apnea.
• Strokes.
• Toxins, such as carbon monoxide poisoning.

Degenerative diseases

Many different brain diseases disrupt your brain’s network of connections. That kind of disruption can affect your ability to update your self-image, leading to anosognosia. Conditions that cause or involve this kind of disruption include:

• Alzheimer’s disease.
• Bipolar disorder.
• Dementia.
• Huntington’s disease.
• Schizophrenia.