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Lightening up before death

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2009

A.D. (Sandy) Macleod
A.D. (Sandy) Macleod*
Affiliation:
Nurse Maude Hospice, Christchurch, New Zealand
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: A.D. (Sandy) Macleod, Nurse Maude Hospice, 15 Mansfield Avenue, Christchurch, New Zealand. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

A lightening, or clearing, of the mental state in the hours or days before death, particularly in those delirious, is occasionally noted by those caring for the dying. Similar phenomena have been described in the natural world and in classical literature. This brief period of lucidity is generally followed by a rapid terminal decline. The author reports on his experience with six cases illustrating this phenomenon. The increasing use of palliative sedation may diminish the possibility of lightening up before death occurring. The theoretical concepts of Hughlings Jackson may provide an explanation for this phenomenon.

Keywords

LighteningDeathDeliriumLucidityHughlings Jackson
Type
Case Report
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 7 , Issue 4 , December 2009 , pp. 513 - 516
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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