Joan M. Griffin, a professor at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, studies a peculiar phenomenon known as lucidity in people with dementia. Scientists refer to these episodes as “paradoxical lucidity” or, when they occur near death, “terminal lucidity.”
Griffin admits that these events should not be happening. They raise profound questions about what occurs within a brain damaged by Alzheimer’s or other dementias. There is a possibility that, at some point, cognitive abilities that seemed permanently lost could be recovered.
The exact mechanisms are still unknown. Griffin speculates that it could be a temporary reduction in inflammation that opens up a previously inaccessible neural network, or a new pathway that emerges amid the cerebral chaos, allowing for a fleeting moment of connection.
What science says about these episodes
In a 2019 article, George Mashour, Lori Frank, and their colleagues explored a key idea: although dementia may have destroyed much of the brain, some abilities do not disappear completely. Temporary changes in communication between the remaining cells could allow functions that seemed inaccessible to reappear for a brief period.
The researchers emphasized that the mechanisms remain unknown. More recent studies are looking for possible triggers such as music, distress, or changes in medication. Some use EEG devices to measure brain electrical activity while recording the patient on video and audio, hoping to capture what happens during those moments.
Last week, Griffin met with neuroscientists, social science specialists, and other researchers at the Consensus Conference of the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Lucidity Network at Johns Hopkins University. They analyzed how to identify these events, their possible neural bases, and the emotional impact on caregivers, who describe them as “indelible moments.”
