A Delphi Approach to Define Lucid Episodes in People Living With Dementia.

PURPOSE

Lucid episodes (LEs: unexpected episodes of spontaneous, meaningful, and relevant communication or behavior) in Alzheimer disease and related dementias are a new area of scientific inquiry that lacks clinical consensus and require more conceptual attention.

METHODS

We aimed to measure consensus from an expert group on: (1) potential medical or clinical explanations for LEs; (2) necessary medical and clinical context to LEs; and (3) interpretation of LEs.

PATIENTS

We convened 13 experts from different disciplines (neurology, psychiatry, psychology, pharmacy, palliative care, hospice, nursing, social work, primary care, geriatrics, and professional home caregivers) to identify elements of LEs.

RESULTS

Experts provided a range of opinions on medical and clinical explanations and questions to understand LEs. Consensus on LEs when presented with clinical vignettes was not reached. Panelists highlighted key medical and contextual factors needed to make a definitive judgement about LEs.

CONCLUSION

There is variability in how LEs are interpreted by clinical experts, which complicates the identification of LEs in Alzheimer disease and related dementias.