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American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias®, Vol. 20, No. 4, 248-254 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/153331750502000405

Alzheimer's disease behaviors from past self-identities: An exploration of the memory and cognitive features

Barbara E. Harrison, PhD, RN

McAuley School of Nursing; McAuley Nurse Managed Center, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, Michigan

Barbara A. Therrien, PhD, RN, FAAN

School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Bruno J. Giordani, PhD

Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology; Neuropsychology Section, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients have been reported by caregivers to display "behaviors from past self-identities" (BPSI); however, there is little known about these distinct behaviors. This study, the first to explore BPSI, hypothesized that BPSI were associated with self-memory and cognitive impairments. Its purpose was to determine if AD subjects with and without BPSI differed on measures of autobiographical memory, selective attention, and fluency. The cross-sectional design compared 35 moderatestage AD subjects from an AD research center. Subjects demonstrating BPSI (37 percent) recalled significantly fewer recent autobiographical memories than AD subjects without BPSI. The results establish BPSI as a common behavior among moderate-stage AD patients and suggest that paucity of recent self-memories contributes to BPSI.

Key Words: Alzheimer's disease • behavior • self-identity • selective attention • autobiographical memory


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