Stability and Change in Life Narratives by Elderly Adults With Alzheimer's Dementia, Depression, and Healthy Controls

IF 1.8 3区心理学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL

Applied Cognitive Psychology Pub Date : 2026-10-26 DOI:10.1002/acp.70296

Tilmann Habermas, Caroline Gruler, Nina Jaeschke, Larissa Rapp, Rebekka Weygandt, Lars Kuchinke, Fabian Fußer, Stefan Frisch

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Abstract

Autobiographical memory is affected by Alzheimer's dementia and depression in old age. We suggest that cognitive decline in Alzheimer's dementia affects both the life narrative construction of personal stability and change, whereas the decline of vitality in depression affects only the construction of change, but not stability of personal identity. Elderly adults with Alzheimer's dementia (N = 21), major depression (N = 20), and healthy controls (N = 20) did not differ in age (m_age = 76.9 years, range 65–94), gender (33 women), or education (mean years = 12.0) narrated their entire lives and provided turning point and self-defining memory narratives. Individuals with Alzheimer's dementia were indeed affected both in indicators of stability and change. Individuals with depression produced more negative life narratives but unexpectedly did not differ from healthy controls in narrative indicators of personal change. Possibly, the expected reduction of personal change in life stories is limited to very severe depression in younger adults.

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老年阿尔茨海默氏痴呆、抑郁症和健康对照者生活叙事的稳定性和变化

老年痴呆和抑郁症会影响自传式记忆。我们认为，阿尔茨海默氏症患者的认知能力下降影响个人稳定性和变化的生活叙事构建，而抑郁症患者的活力下降只影响变化的构建，而不影响个人同一性的稳定性。老年痴呆症患者（N = 21）、重度抑郁症患者（N = 20）和健康对照组（N = 20）在年龄（年龄= 76.9岁，范围65-94）、性别（33名女性）或教育程度（平均年龄= 12.0）方面没有差异，他们叙述了自己的整个生活，并提供了转折点和自我定义的记忆叙述。阿尔茨海默氏痴呆症患者确实在稳定性和变化指标上都受到了影响。抑郁症患者产生了更多消极的生活叙述，但出乎意料的是，在个人变化的叙述指标上与健康对照组没有差异。可能，预期的生活故事中个人变化的减少仅限于年轻人中非常严重的抑郁症。

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来源期刊

Applied Cognitive Psychology PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL-

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

8.30%

发文量

111

期刊介绍： Applied Cognitive Psychology seeks to publish the best papers dealing with psychological analyses of memory, learning, thinking, problem solving, language, and consciousness as they occur in the real world. Applied Cognitive Psychology will publish papers on a wide variety of issues and from diverse theoretical perspectives. The journal focuses on studies of human performance and basic cognitive skills in everyday environments including, but not restricted to, studies of eyewitness memory, autobiographical memory, spatial cognition, skill training, expertise and skilled behaviour. Articles will normally combine realistic investigations of real world events with appropriate theoretical analyses and proper appraisal of practical implications.