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

Abstract

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

Supplementary materials

Appendix 1: Interview instructions and the questionnaire

1. Instruction

   Now, I would like to ask you several questions about your present, past, and future. Please feel free to express your current feelings.

2. Questionnaire

   1. I will ask you about your present.

      Do you find the current flow of time to be slow or fast?

      How about the time passing in a day (sleep–wake cycle and diet intervals, etc.)?

      How about the time passing in a year (ceremonies and seasonal transitions)?

      Or, is there anything that you feel about the present passage of time other than that it is slow or fast?

      When do you have this feeling?

   2. I would like to ask you about the past.

      Please recall the past. What comes to your mind? When did it happen?

      Do you feel that the past is distant or close?

   3. I would like to ask you about the future.

      Please imagine your future. What do you imagine? When will it happen?

      Do you feel that the future is distant or close?

      If no voluntary response is given after more than 30 seconds of continued silence, or if the response is off-topic:

      “Now, I will repeat the question once again. However, if you cannot form an answer, you may instead answer ‘nothing in particular’.”

Appendix 2: The excerpt code book

1. {Live according to a private clock}

Table

2. {The past comes up}

Table

3. {Go back and forth between the past and the present}

Table

4. {Cannot imagine the future}

Table

5. {Bid farewell to this world as early as tomorrow}

Table

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Grant-in-aids for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) for Innovative Areas “The science of Mental Time” (25119006), JSPS KAKENHI grant number 26860677, and KAKENHI 18H05525.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.