Resolution of communication breakdown in dementia of the Alzheimer's type: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Characteristic features of communication breakdown and repair among individuals with dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) and their caregivers have been described recently. The nature of communication breakdown, how it is signalled, how it is repaired, and the outcome of the repair process, based on data from cross‐sectional studies, appear to be disease stage‐dependent. What is unknown, however, is the nature of the longitudinal changes in the resolution of communication breakdown over the progression of DAT. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the findings of a longitudinal study of the resolution of communication breakdown involving fifteen spousal dyads representing three diagnostic groups. Results show that early and middle stage DAT dyads achieved overwhelming success in resolving communication breakdowns despite declining cognitive, linguistic, and conversation abilities of the individuals with DAT. The findings have important implications for understanding the influence of the progression of DAT on conversational performance, and for advancing the development of communication enhancement education and training programmes for spousal caregivers of individuals with DAT.