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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Examining the Characteristics of Episodic Memory using Event-related Potentials in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: August 30, 2011
Alzheimer's disease behaviors from past self-identities: an exploration of the memory and cognitive features
Barbara E Harrison1, Barbara A Therrien, Bruno J Giordani
1Graduate Program, McAuley School of Nursing, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Abstract:
Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients have been reported by caregivers to display "behaviors from past self-identities " (BPSI); however, there is little known about these distinct behaviors. This study, the first to explore BPSI, hypothesized that BPSI were associated with self-memory and cognitive impairments. Its purpose was to determine if AD subjects with and without BPSI differed on measures of autobiographical memory, selective attention, and fluency. The cross-sectional design compared 35 moderate-stage AD subjects from an AD research center. Subjects demonstrating BPSI (37 percent) recalled significantly fewer recent autobiographical memories than AD subjects without BPSI. The results establish BPSI as a common behavior among moderate-stage AD patients and suggest that paucity of recent self-memories contributes to BPSI.
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