Insight Regarding Impairment

The extent to which an individual accurately judges one’s own strengths and limitations; also called metacognition.  A patient’s ability in the area may be judged on the basis of actions or statements regarding intended actions.  Patients with brain injuries often overestimate their strengths and underestimate their limitations.  For example, a patient with right hemisphere damage may attempt to drive a car while out on pass and get involved in a serious accident.  A patient with two broken legs in casts may state that he can’t walk because he’s “to tired.”