The subjective perception of past, present, and future time in patients with Alzheimer's disease: a qualitative study

Abstract

Azusa Shiromaru-Sugimoto,1 Hidetomo Murakami,1 Akinori Futamura,1 Motoyasu Honma,2 Takeshi Kuroda,1 Mitsuru Kawamura,1,3 Kenjiro Ono1 1Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo 142-8666, Japan; 2Department of Physiology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo 181-0004, Japan; 3Neurology, Okusawa Hospital and Clinics, Tokyo 158-0083, Japan Background: The relationship between dementia and time perception impairment is unknown. Aim: This study aims to explore subjective perception of the passage of time in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 AD patients. Grounded theory, a qualitative research methodology, was used for data analysis. Results: Based on interview transcripts, five categories were designated: {Live according to a private clock}, {The past comes up}, {Move back and forth between the present and the past}, {Cannot imagine the future}, and {Bid farewell to this world as early as tomorrow}. Discussion: Our results suggest that AD patients alternate past and present without complete awareness and cannot imagine a future other than one ending in death. Keywords: dementia, grounded theory, neuropsychology, qualitative study, mind time, interview

Keywords

• Alzheimer’s disease
• dementia
• grounded theory
• time
• neuropsychology