Pathological correlates of impaired self-awareness of memory function in Alzheimer’s disease

INTRODUCTION: Impaired self-awareness of memory function, a.k.a. anosognosia, is a common symptom in Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, its pathological correlates remain unclear. Here, we investigated the impact of amyloid and tau on memory self-awareness. METHODS: Two hundred thirty-six clinically normal (N) and 102 impaired (I) participants from the ADNI cohort were included. Amyloid (global) and tau burden (in entorhinal and inferior temporal cortices) were assessed using positron emission tomography (PET). Self-awareness of memory was assessed using discrepancy indexes of subjective participant-informant ratings, as well as participant-objective scores of memory performance. Subjective and objective values were derived from the Everyday Cognition memory questionnaire and Logical Memory (delayed recall). RESULTS: Lower awareness (both methods) of memory function was associated with higher levels of pathology in the I group as compared to N. There was a significant effect of tauopathy, but not amyloidosis, on individual complaint, such that higher levels of tau associated with lower awareness. DISCUSSION: Impaired self-awareness appears progressively in the evolution of the disease related to AD biomarkers. Discordant subjective and objective measures may be important for clinical consideration. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13195-021-00856-x.