A study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association sought to investigate how lucid episodes in late stages of dementia and how these occurrences reveal themselves.
Here in the UK, more than 944,000 people have dementia and, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and may contribute to 60–70% of cases.
This recent study found that 75% of people having lucid episodes were reported to have Alzheimer’s Disease as opposed to other forms of dementia.
What lucid episodes look like in dementia patients
In the study, researchers defined lucid episodes as unexpected, spontaneous, meaningful and relevant communication from a person who is assumed to have permanently lost the capacity for coherent interactions, either verbally or through gestures and actions.
The study aimed to determine if there were distinct patterns or types of lucid episodes that could be used to understand why or when they happen.
Joan Griffin, Ph.D., lead author of the study said: “We determined the types of episodes based on the circumstances surrounding the episode, the quality of the communication during the episode, how long it lasted, the level of cognition of the person living with dementia before the episode and the proximity to death.”
What the researchers found was that, of those experiencing lucid episodes, 61% were women and 31% lived in the same household as their caregiver.
Researchers were keen to highlight that, contrary to popular opinion, lucid episodes don’t always mean that death is around the corner, and there are actually different types of lucid episodes.
Dr Griffin said: “It’s important for people to know that these are not necessarily harbingers for death.
“I think people can get anxious when they happen, so it’s good to know that there are different kinds of episodes that don’t necessarily mean death is imminent.”
Researchers will now be conducting a longitudinal study to better understand lucid episodes and how caregivers react to them and take meaning from them.
Dr Griffin added: “With this new study, we’ll be able to understand better what patterns exist and determine the consequences of the episode over time.”
Here’s hoping.