Alzheimer's disease and impairment of the Self

Impairment of the Self has been described in frontal-temporal dementia but little research has been carried out in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Objective: The aim of this study was to explore changes in the self in patients with AD. Method: Forty-seven patients with mild to moderate AD were examined using a semi-structured scale designed to assess the self-concept along three dimensions, namely, the Material Self, the Social Self and the Spiritual Self. Results: The majority of patients (43 out of 47) presented impairment of at least one dimension of the Self. When only one dimension was affected, it was always the Social Self. The severity of impairment of the Self was correlated to the impairment of the semantic autobiographical memory and apathy. Conclusion: The Self is impaired in AD and the Social Self dimension appears to be more vulnerable in AD than other dimensions. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.