Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog

Editor: Gerry W. Beyer
Texas Tech Univ. School of Law

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Study on caregivers finds brief bouts of lucidity are common among people with dementia

Screenshot 2024-06-28 at 9.40.01 PMNIA-funded researchers conducted in-depth interviews with caregivers to document how many witnessed an unexpected, temporary return of mental clarity to individuals with advanced dementia. For this study, a team lead by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania sought to build on previous work examining the quantifiable aspects of lucid episodes, such as frequency, duration, and proximity to death. The goal was to better define and describe episodes of lucidity, given the pervasiveness seen in previous research.

Among the 30 caregiver participant interviews, 25 included descriptions of a total of 34 lucid episodes. The family members often called the lucid episodes a small, positive “blip” in an otherwise negative downward journey with their loved one. An episode tended to be the mentioning of a single word, a gesture, or a facial expression that gave the caregiver a sense the individual’s mind was momentarily back to normal. 

Among all participants, most caregivers reacted positively to the lucid episode. However, consistent with previous research, this study showed that caregivers did not typically discuss episodes of lucidity with health care professionals because they were unsure if the information would be useful. The researchers noted that for many caregivers, the lucid episodes affected their day-to-day approaches to care and helped justify ongoing care efforts, suggesting that clinicians should be encouraged to solicit whether caregivers have witnessed such events.

For more information see "Study on caregivers finds brief bouts of lucidity are common among people with dementia", National Institute on Aging, June 6, 2024. 

Special thanks to Joel C. Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/trusts_estates_prof/2024/06/study-on-caregivers-finds-brief-bouts-of-lucidity-are-common-among-people-with-dementia.html

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