ABSTRACT Objectives – We recently reported the major role depression and apathy in awareness among Alzheimer patients, using the stage of the disease as an exposure factor and exploring different assessment methods. We aimed here to explore the different dimensions of awareness using the various domains of awareness assessed by different sub-scales in awareness scales. Method – Sixty-one Alzheimer patients were examined using four awareness scales relating to three assessment methods : (a) patient-caregiver discrepancy; (b) clinical rating; and (c) prediction of performance discrepancy. Global cognition, executive functioning, autonomy, depression and apathy were also assessed. Multivariate logistic models were performed using disease stage as an exposure factor for awareness scales and sub-scales. Correlations across the different factors and patient and caregiver awareness ratings were computed. Results – The patient-caregiver discrepancy and clinical rating methods (a, b) both identified the factors associated with awareness, in the overall scales and the sub-scales as being depression and/or apathy. Depression correlated with patient self-ratings while apathy correlated with caregiver-ratings. The prediction of performance discrepancy method (c) identified different factors in the overall scale, executive factors in three sub-scales involving executive domains and memory factor in a subscale involving mnesic domain. Discussion – The awareness scales using a referential based on a human rating (a, b) suggest that awareness is unidimensional with depression impacting self-reports and apathy influencing caregiver/clinical reports. Those with referential based on a test rating (c) appear more associated with the dimensions assessed. This highlights the role of the reference system for awareness assessment in Alzheimer’s disease.