Understanding Terminal Lucidity
Terminal lucidity is a phenomenon that can be seen in end-of-life patients who have dementia, traumatic brain injuries, and brain cancers. It can be described as a brief burst of mental clarity that spans one to seven days for patients who have suffered from dementia, episodes of delirium, or experienced physical pain near the end of their lives. This allows these patients to walk around, talk to their loved ones, recall stories, and respond to people around them. In terminal lucid moments, individuals describe a sense of mental clarity and can perform functions that are not believed to occur otherwise. In case studies, you can see this with individuals being able to name family members and state their feelings (even if they were previously thought to be non-responsive or unable to walk or communicate). End-of-life patients in a terminal lucid state usually pass away within hours to a week, though in 6% of the cases, the patient lives up to a week. Because many of the patients who experience terminal lucidity die within that timespan, it is considered an end-of-life phenomenon. The earliest occurrences of terminal lucidity can be traced back to medical journals in the 1700s, where patients in psychiatric hospitals or hospices would temporarily regain clarity and perform actions they otherwise weren’t thought they could do. It’s a common occurrence in end-of-life patients with dementia, with 33% of patients experiencing terminal lucidity within hours to days of their death.. In 6% of the cases of terminal lucidity, the patient lives up to a week.
Caregiving and medical practices must be adequately trained to handle cases regarding terminal lucidity. Many cases of terminal lucidity happen at the end of life, and caregivers usually experience a degree of surprise or shock when experiencing cases. Medical practices are also unaware of how to handle brief bursts of mental clarity or have procedures to utilize them, such as making end-of-life wills, contacting family members, or communicating needs/wants. Most of this unsureness in the medical community stems from the lack of scientific literature on terminal lucidity. It is a lesser-documented condition with significant implications, especially considering how terminal lucidity breaks the paradigm regarding the one-way street of neurodegenerative diseases. The potential of the human brain to self-repair and gain temporary mental clarity is an unknown field of neuroscience that needs to be explored. Terminal lucidity indicates this unknown mechanism, and its implications in neurodegenerative cognitive research are impeccable.
Need for Further Research
Certain neurotransmitters might be involved in the biological mechanisms behind terminal lucidity, which has yet to be explored in-depth. In some cases, an increase in dopamine or serotonin encourages neuroplastic processes, but its effects on patients with cognitive decline have not been fully evaluated. Other theories might focus on the psychological need for closure and peace. Our current understanding of this condition only extends to the observable effects we see as there is little data in neuroimaging, biological markers, cognitive assessments, and interventional studies. A complex interaction happens with terminal lucidity, which researchers have been unable to isolate and discern. Although new research projects have opened up to study this complex topic, there are barriers that prevent data collection. For instance, many patients at the end-of-life stages are unable to consent to research practices unless explicitly stated beforehand. Additionally, families of patients may be uncomfortable with their loved ones being studied at the last stages of their lives.
Understanding terminal lucidity offers us clues in understanding human cognition and function. With the brain being one of the most mysterious and complex objects, every clue that helps us prevent the onset and suffering caused by neurodegenerative diseases is crucial. Terminal lucidity offers a novel understanding of neuroplasticity that may supplement our current perspectives on the pathology of various neurodegenerative diseases. Terminal lucidity may also provide a paradigm for utilizing the neuroplastic correction involved in terminal lucidity to develop treatments and procedures for patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Human consciousness is a complex concept. By understanding terminal lucidity we can decode vital information that can allow us to live for much longer, treat diseases, and open up new avenues of research to progress technology and medicine.
References
- Macleod, S. (n.d.). (PDF) terminal lucidity: A review and a case collection. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51497433_Terminal_lucidity_A_review_and_a_case_collection
- Batthyány, A., & Greyson, B. (n.d.). Spontaneous remission of dementia before death. https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/wp-content/uploads/sites/360/2021/04/terminal-lucidity-PC.pdf
- Freiburg. (n.d.). Terminal lucidity in patients with chronic schizophrenia… : The Journal of nervous and mental disease. LWW. https://journals.lww.com/jonmd/fulltext/2009/12000/Terminal_Lucidity_in_Patients_With_Chronic.12.aspx
Image References
Cover photo: Jim Stoten/The Guardian
Figure 1: Alzheimer’s Research UK
Figure 2: Simple Psychology