Autobiographical narrative and reminiscences in Costa Ricans with Alzheimer

Abstract

Reminiscence, as an autobiographical memory narrative, is a well-known, non-pharmacological intervention for aging and dementia. In this study, we seek to better understand the possible pragmatic and discursive functionality of reminiscence in people with Alzheimer's disease, preserving positive sociocultural interactions through communicative acts and providing a sense of identity. The aim was to characterize the structure, content and mnesic-discursive construction of the autobiographical narratives in a communicative demand of reminiscence. A qualitative analysis of autobiographical narratives was performed with 30 Alzheimer's disease patients in their initial phase. Results show non-specific autobiographical narratives in chronology and completeness of details, but with a semantic self-representation associated with their identity maintenance. Previous studies have described similar findings as discursive superstructures, because they do not comply with the informative quality required by the communicative situation. Faced with an aging population, the value of this narrative intervention justifies continuing the study of its potential benefits.