Reports About Paradoxical Lucidity from Health Care Professionals: A Pilot Study

Although clinicians caring for persons at the end of life recognize the phenomenon of paradoxical/terminal lucidity, systematic evidence is scant. The current pilot study aimed to develop a structured interview instrument for health care professionals to report lucidity. A questionnaire measuring lucidity length, degree, content, coinciding circumstances, and time from episode to death was expanded to include time of day, expressive and receptive communication, and speech during the month prior to and during the event. Thirty-three interviews were conducted; 73% of participants reported ever witnessing paradoxical lucidity. Among 29 events reported, 31% lasted several days, 20.7% lasted 1 day, and 24.1% lasted
There have been reports of lucidity in dementia, particularly in the late stages (Nahm, 2009). This phenomenon has been referred to as terminal or paradoxical lucidity (PL) and defined as [...]