My Alzheimer's Journey
Part 150 - Terminal Lucidity
Terminal lucidity is an unexpected period of mental clarity and memory shortly before death in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and other neurologic disorders. It is often referred to as an end of life rally. For caregivers and family, this phenomenon can be confusing and a bit unsettling. Some people have mistaken terminal lucidity as hope that the loved one is getting better.
Christopher Kerr, chief executive officer and chief medical officer at Hospice and Palliative Care Buffalo in New York State, has studied the lucid visions of several hundred terminally ill people. He says these events “usually occur in the last few days of life.”
It is estimated 43 percent of people who experience this brief lucidity die within 24 hours, and 84 percent within a week.
The signs of terminal lucidity include:
Remembering and reacting to loved ones after being disengaged for an extended period of time
Speaking coherently
Expressing their desires such as requesting a favorite food
Recognizing people they had forgotten
Recount experiences in great detail
Singing or playing a musical instrument
Despite being reported since the 19th century, the cause of terminal lucidity is not well understood and is a subject of ongoing research. Some researchers suggest that it may be related to the dying brain losing its usual suppression mechanisms, allowing access to previously inaccessible parts of the brain. Other theories propose that it could be a result of the brain attempting to restore cognitive abilities in individuals who are otherwise considered permanently impaired.
One thing is certain, terminal lucidity is perplexing and mysterious, and maybe even mystical.
If your loved one experiences terminal lucidity, the Cleveland Clinic suggests you be present for them. Allow them to steer the conversation. Keep the conversation simple. Finally, make the lucid moment matter. Say comforting words before your loved one dies.
Have you witnessed terminal lucidity? If so, please share your experience by leaving a comment.
Sources:
Terminal lucidity: A review and a case collection - Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Volume 55, Issue 1
Why Dying People Often Experience a Burst of Lucidity - Scientific American, June 12, 2023
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Greg
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