Introduction: This study examined lucid episodes among people living with late-stage Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (PLWD) and then developed a typology of these episodes to help characterize them.
Methods: Family caregivers of PLWD provided information about witnessed episodes, including proximity to death, cognitive status, duration, communication quality, and circumstances prior to lucid episodes on up to two episodes (caregiver N = 151; episode N = 279). Latent class analysis was used to classify and characterize empirically distinct clusters of lucid episodes.
Results: Four lucid episode types were identified. The most common type occurred during visits with family and among PLWD who lived > 6 months after the episode. The least common type coincided with family visits and occurred within 7 days of the PLWD's death.
Discussion: Findings suggest that multiple types of lucid episodes exist; not all signal impending death; and some, but not all, are precipitated by external stimuli.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/alz.13667 | DOI Listing |
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