Mohamad El Haj1,2,3,4, Philippe Allain5,6, Pascal Antoine7, Guillaume Chapelet8,9, Dimitrios Kapogiannis10, Claire Boutoleau-Bretonnière11, Karim Gallouj12. 1. Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire (LPPL-EA 4638), Nantes Université, Univ Angers, 44000, Nantes, France. mohamad.elhaj@univ-nantes.fr. 2. Unité de Gériatrie, Centre Hospitalier de Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France. mohamad.elhaj@univ-nantes.fr. 3. Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France. mohamad.elhaj@univ-nantes.fr. 4. Faculté de Psychologie, LPPL - Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire, Université de Nantes, Chemin de la Censive du Tertre, BP 81227, 44312, Nantes Cedex 3, France. mohamad.elhaj@univ-nantes.fr. 5. Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de La Loire, LPPL EA 4638 SFR Confluences, UNIV Angers, Nantes Université, Maison de La Recherche Germaine Tillion, 5 bis Boulevard Lavoisier, 49045, Angers Cedex 01, France. 6. Département de Neurologie, CHU Angers, Angers, France. 7. UMR 9193 SCALab-Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Univ. Lille, CNRS, CHU Lille, 59000, Lille, France. 8. Inserm, TENS, The Enteric Nervous System in Gut and Brain Diseases, IMAD, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France. 9. Clinical Gerontology Department, CHU Nantes, Bd Jacques Monod, 44093, Nantes, France. 10. Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA. 11. Inserm CIC04, Département de Neurologie, Centre Mémoire de Ressources et Recherche, CHU Nantes, Nantes, France. 12. Unité de Gériatrie, Centre Hospitalier de Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Autobiographical memory serves to recall past personal experiences and share them with others, promoting social bonding and communication. In this study, we investigated whether encouraging patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) to share autobiographical memories during formal neuropsychological testing may boost the patient-clinician relationship, and more specifically, the neuropsychologist's level of sympathy as perceived by patients. METHODS: We invited patients with mild AD to perform neuropsychological testing in two conditions. In one condition, we invited patients to retrieve and share two autobiographical memories after testing, while in a control condition, the testing session ended without asking patients to retrieve and share any autobiographical memories. After the two conditions, patients were invited to rate the neuropsychologist's level of sympathy towards them. RESULTS: Analysis demonstrated that patients perceived a higher level of sympathy when their neuropsychologist invited them to retrieve and share past personal experiences. DISCUSSION: By inviting patients with AD to retrieve past personal experiences, clinicians can promote a sense of sharing, create a social bond and, consequently, enhance the therapeutic relationship. In other words, by inviting patients with AD to share autobiographical memories, clinicians can promote a "social glue" with their patients, boosting mutual sympathy and patients' well-being.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Autobiographical memory serves to recall past personal experiences and share them with others, promoting social bonding and communication. In this study, we investigated whether encouraging patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) to share autobiographical memories during formal neuropsychological testing may boost the patient-clinician relationship, and more specifically, the neuropsychologist's level of sympathy as perceived by patients. METHODS: We invited patients with mild AD to perform neuropsychological testing in two conditions. In one condition, we invited patients to retrieve and share two autobiographical memories after testing, while in a control condition, the testing session ended without asking patients to retrieve and share any autobiographical memories. After the two conditions, patients were invited to rate the neuropsychologist's level of sympathy towards them. RESULTS: Analysis demonstrated that patients perceived a higher level of sympathy when their neuropsychologist invited them to retrieve and share past personal experiences. DISCUSSION: By inviting patients with AD to retrieve past personal experiences, clinicians can promote a sense of sharing, create a social bond and, consequently, enhance the therapeutic relationship. In other words, by inviting patients with AD to share autobiographical memories, clinicians can promote a "social glue" with their patients, boosting mutual sympathy and patients' well-being.