Inability to Recognize One's Own Reflection in Alzheimer Disease

Mirrored-self misidentification is associated with failure of face-selective activity in the right occipitotemporal cortex, probably causing impaired mapping of the perceived face on stored memory representations.

[cathifamjourney]

This makes me incredibly sad. My mother is heading down that road 😭

[sumatir]

The video clearly shows how insensitive and ill informed both the doc and relative are. Insisting he recognize himself. I lost my dear Mother very recently. She suffered almost 2 yrs of Alzheimer's dementia. Such a dynamic and active person. We are still wondering what cud have gone wrong. This disease is devastating and very tragic to see them suffering.
Doctors just kept prescribing meds and increasing the dosage. No one has a clue or solution. We were helpless. God give strength to all those who have near and dear ones suffering from this.

[combineadvisorwithinternet]

My grandpa has died due to Alzheimer's in 2013. While I was still going to school around that time, my mother recently told me on the 9th year of his death that when he was walking around the house, he would stare into the mirror and have conversations with his reflection, complimenting his clothing and talking about random things. This video reminds me of him, such a horrible disease.

[Mede_N]

In my opinion, altsheimer's disease and similar cognitively impairing illnesses might be among the most burdensome illnesses for the relatives. It must be so devastating to witness a person slowly but surely disappear. I hope that I will be spared to experience it (actively or passively).

[tjdesignzable]

most people have no idea or say its not that bad. my mother talks to the person in the mirror like its someone in the next room. tries to give her drinks invites her to watch tv. waves to her when shes in the hospital bed. most painful thing in the world for a son. Do not tell her its her. just let it happen. trust me

[abyss]

It must be terrifying to realise that.

[vivoorriley]

I wish this disease. Never existed, I used to work with the elderly and its a very sad image

[kumarikamohanty]

It is very sad. My father is in exactly this condition these days. He talks to his image thinking that is his father.

[christopherbako]

My Mom, believed she needed to Help the people on TV. I'll never forget what a Great Mom she was.❤

[RabdoInternetGuy]

You can feel and see the embarassment of that mam having to admit he doesn't recognize himself. He knows rationally it could only be him. His face says "i apologize, i don't understand why i don't recognize it."

[petesmith]

I look into his reflection and see a beautiful elderly man who has loved and cared.

[DavidLS]

As life expectancy increases, so too does the rate of Alzheimer's.

[MelliaBoomBot]

I can’t help feeling bad for him. If he had truly lost it he’d say no out loudly and wouldn’t care less, but the fact that he seemed hesitant and just shook his head when the doc said no at the end felt like he ought to know but didn’t and felt embarrassed 😞 It’s very sad..

[qnxeosx]

My husband and I cared for my dad for a short time, while waiting for a place in a nearby nursing home. We were giving mum a break! Our spare room had a mirrored wardrobe. He was quite annoyed that someone else was in the room with him. We had to put a sheet up across the wardrobe so he couldn’t see his own reflection. It was a very sad time for us. Dad passed away peacefully in 2009.

[abhinaykumar]

One day, there will be a treatment for this disease.

[mohanasrikarkonda]

Bless him with good health and recovery

[ianbevins]

What terrible “medical care” by the doctor and nurse. After the first time the man said “no” to recognising himself, the medical staff had the confirmation of his “cognitive condition” that they were evidently seeking. If they really wanted to help him recognise the figure in the mirror as himself, one of them should have stood next to him and TOGETHER they should have looked into the mirror. Then the Dr or nurse by the man should have said “that man/lady there is me, and that man next to me - you see - is you. That’s what I look like in a mirror and that’s what you look like in a mirror.”

In my opinion, what they did was cruel when they told him to look again in the mirror and told him “that’s you”. Did they expect to him to say “oh yeah. Thanks for that, doctor!” … I cared and nursed my mother with dementia for 3.5 years until she died at home (fading out from consciousness to death with her last breath… I was at her side.) Yes, I had some home care help from “care workers” but most of them lacked the necessary understanding that the person inside the body is there, is always there but that their relationship to the outer world has become blurred, and that it is at that point where the person and the world round them CONNECTS that requires your assistance as a carer (or care worker) to help be their “synapse” (so to speak). Good lord, it isn’t rocket science! It is really quite simple. Why oh why do the allopathic medical practitioners get it so wrong?

[sunnyblueskies]

I had one pt. who would get so afraid when he saw his reflection. He said he didn’t know that old man and he didn’t want to look at him. He thought he was 19 and on the farm again which made it difficult for him to accept that his body wasn’t working now as it used to. He had terrible sundowner’s too. 💔😞

[mikereloader]

My biggest fear. To me life is about your experiences and the choices you’ve made. To lose my memories would be losing everything, my whole life. Wish they could find a cure.

[thedarkforce]

You can tell by his face that he's very disinterested in looking in the mirror obviously because he doesn't know who the man in the mirror is