Study Explores End-of-Life Clarity in People With Dementia

A study in Alzheimer's & Dementia considers the challenge of researching the phenomenon of paradoxical lucidity, when a person with severe dementia abruptly displays surprising clarity just prior to death, reports Psych Central . Outlined are vital ethical ramifications of this research, including the ability of vulnerable individuals to participate and how the observation of paradoxical lucidity might alter how caregivers interact with people with dementia. "Would research that might identify a systematically observable paradoxical lucidity provide comfort, for example, by offering loved ones a potential channel for closure, or might it induce worry if loved ones are left to wonder if a reversible cause of the dementia could have been found?" asked the RAND Corporation's Lori Frank. "We do not know the answers, but these could be important research questions in their own right." The researchers hope their work will help raise awareness to fuel further progress into paradoxical lucidity research.