Apr 26, 2023 08:37 PM
https://www.freethink.com/health/terminal-lucidity
INTRO: New research into terminal lucidity — a strange phenomenon in which people with severe dementia suddenly regain their mental faculties right before death — could transform our understanding of dementia, and maybe even point to a way to reverse it.
Dementia involves the loss of memory, cognition, and speech. It’s caused by changes in the brain due to injury or disease, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, and it’s progressive, meaning the symptoms get more severe over time.
More than 55 million people are living with dementia, and the condition can be extremely distressing both for those experiencing it, especially in its later stages, and their caregivers — often, they’re trying to help a loved one who now treats them like a stranger.
Sometimes, though, people with dementia who hadn’t been coherent for years will suddenly revert to their mentally sharp selves for up to several hours — and then die shortly after.
“The most dramatic case noted by our team was a patient who was bedridden, did not speak, and was unresponsive,” Milena Zaprianova, clinical director for the hospice care team at VNS Health, told proto.life.
“One day the patient got out of bed, went to the dining room, had a steak and engaged with family,” she continued. “The patient then returned to bed, went to sleep, and died the next day.”
This phenomenon, now known as “terminal lucidity” or “the rally,” is seemingly not uncommon, and evidence of it can be found in medical papers from as far back as the 1700s — yet we still don’t know much about it.
“The fleeting nature of terminal lucidity, combined with the ethical challenges of conducting end-of-life research, means we have a woefully limited understanding of the phenomenon,” Douglas Vakoch, a clinical psychologist, told proto.life... (MORE - details)
INTRO: New research into terminal lucidity — a strange phenomenon in which people with severe dementia suddenly regain their mental faculties right before death — could transform our understanding of dementia, and maybe even point to a way to reverse it.
Dementia involves the loss of memory, cognition, and speech. It’s caused by changes in the brain due to injury or disease, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, and it’s progressive, meaning the symptoms get more severe over time.
More than 55 million people are living with dementia, and the condition can be extremely distressing both for those experiencing it, especially in its later stages, and their caregivers — often, they’re trying to help a loved one who now treats them like a stranger.
Sometimes, though, people with dementia who hadn’t been coherent for years will suddenly revert to their mentally sharp selves for up to several hours — and then die shortly after.
“The most dramatic case noted by our team was a patient who was bedridden, did not speak, and was unresponsive,” Milena Zaprianova, clinical director for the hospice care team at VNS Health, told proto.life.
“One day the patient got out of bed, went to the dining room, had a steak and engaged with family,” she continued. “The patient then returned to bed, went to sleep, and died the next day.”
This phenomenon, now known as “terminal lucidity” or “the rally,” is seemingly not uncommon, and evidence of it can be found in medical papers from as far back as the 1700s — yet we still don’t know much about it.
“The fleeting nature of terminal lucidity, combined with the ethical challenges of conducting end-of-life research, means we have a woefully limited understanding of the phenomenon,” Douglas Vakoch, a clinical psychologist, told proto.life... (MORE - details)
