DementiaNCT07482800
Dementia in Fiction and Clinical Narratives
An observational study of Dementia and Alzheimer s Disease, run by Fu Jen Catholic University at 1 site in Taiwan.
Trial summary
This study aims to compare the natural narrative language of patients with Alzheimer's disease and the fictional depictions of dementia in contemporary novels from both neurological and literary perspectives. It investigates the similarities and differences in the deterioration of semantic and episodic memory. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 to 85 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Dementia, Alzheimer s Disease
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTaiwan
- Study dates
- 17 Mar 2026to 31 Jul 2026
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 60 to 85 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: patient of affiliated university hospital
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease or other mild cognitive impairment by a neurologist (case group) / healthy individuals matched for age and education level (control group)
- Able to communicate and understand basic language
Who cannot join
- Refuse to participate in the study
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Taiwan1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, Fu Jen Catholic University
New Taipei City, 24352
Ke-Yun Chao, PhD, +886-905-301-879, ck_qq@hotmail.con
About this study
Official title: Examining Representations of Dementia in Fiction and Clinical Narratives
This study aims to compare the natural narrative language of patients with Alzheimer's disease and the fictional depictions of dementia in contemporary novels from both neurological and literary perspectives. It investigates the similarities and differences in the deterioration of semantic and episodic memory. The goal is to develop a cross-disciplinary language observation model that enhances early diagnostic understanding, fosters empathy in caregiving, and strengthens medical humanities education.
Read the detailed description
Background： Dementia is a major neurodegenerative disease of concern in aging societies worldwide, with Alzheimer's disease being the most common form. Early symptoms often involve language impairments and narrative disorganization. While neurology has extensively studied semantic memory and pragmatic dysfunction, systematic analysis of natural language narratives remains limited. Meanwhile, contemporary "neuronovels" depict the linguistic and cognitive decline of characters with dementia in highly realistic and emotionally resonant ways, providing narrative insights that may complement clinical observations. This project uses novels such as The Tunnel by A. B. Yehoshua and Still Alice by Lisa Genova as key texts, integrating real patient data and neurobehavioral assessments to construct a model that bridges clinical and literary approaches.
Study Design： This is a one-year prospective study.
Methods： Semi-structured interviews will be conducted to collect spontaneous narratives focusing on childhood memories, life events, and self-description. Audio recordings will be transcribed and analyzed for linguistic features and behaviors. In parallel, fictional narratives from selected dementia-themed novels will be analyzed for language disruption, narrative fragmentation, and identity construction in characters with dementia. A multidisciplinary team will conduct cross-comparative analyses between clinical data and literary texts to establish a reference framework of language decline and narrative behavior for future diagnostic support and empathy training.
- Conditions
- Dementia, Alzheimer s Disease
- Keywords
- Dementia, Language Decline, Neurology, Narrative Medicine, Literary Analysis
- Medical subject headings
- Dementia, Narrative Medicine
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Case group | Diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease or other mild cognitive impairment by a neurologist | |
| Control group | Healthy individuals matched for age and education level |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Mini-Mental State Examination
assess cognitive function, including orientation, memory, attention, language, and basic visuospatial ability
Measured: on the day of enrollment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted19 Mar 2026
- Study start17 Mar 2026
- Primary completion31 Jul 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Jul 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for DementiaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Fu Jen Catholic University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ke-Yun, Chao, Fu Jen Catholic University
- Investigators
- Ke-Yun Chao, PhD, Principal investigator, Fu Jen Catholic University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07482800
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- FJUH114504
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 8 Mar 2026
- Last updated
- 20 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Examining Representations of Dementia in Fiction and Clinical Narratives
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07482800
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- FJUH114504
- Conditions
- Dementia, Alzheimer s Disease
- Keywords
- Dementia, Language Decline, Neurology, Narrative Medicine, Literary Analysis
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Fu Jen Catholic UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 17 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jul 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Jul 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 19 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to compare the natural narrative language of patients with Alzheimer's disease and the fictional depictions of dementia in contemporary novels from both neurological and literary perspectives. It investigates the similarities and differences in the deterioration of semantic and episodic memory. The goal is to develop a cross-disciplinary language observation model that enhances early diagnostic understanding, fosters empathy in caregiving, and strengthens medical humanities education.
Detailed description
Background： Dementia is a major neurodegenerative disease of concern in aging societies worldwide, with Alzheimer's disease being the most common form. Early symptoms often involve language impairments and narrative disorganization. While neurology has extensively studied semantic memory and pragmatic dysfunction, systematic analysis of natural language narratives remains limited. Meanwhile, contemporary "neuronovels" depict the linguistic and cognitive decline of characters with dementia in highly realistic and emotionally resonant ways, providing narrative insights that may complement clinical observations. This project uses novels such as The Tunnel by A. B. Yehoshua and Still Alice by Lisa Genova as key texts, integrating real patient data and neurobehavioral assessments to construct a model that bridges clinical and literary approaches.
Study Design： This is a one-year prospective study.
Methods： Semi-structured interviews will be conducted to collect spontaneous narratives focusing on childhood memories, life events, and self-description. Audio recordings will be transcribed and analyzed for linguistic features and behaviors. In parallel, fictional narratives from selected dementia-themed novels will be analyzed for language disruption, narrative fragmentation, and identity construction in characters with dementia. A multidisciplinary team will conduct cross-comparative analyses between clinical data and literary texts to establish a reference framework of language decline and narrative behavior for future diagnostic support and empathy training.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Case group | – | –Diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease or other mild cognitive impairment by a neurologist |
| Control group | – | –Healthy individuals matched for age and education level |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 to 85 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- patient of affiliated university hospital
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease or other mild cognitive impairment by a neurologist (case group) / healthy individuals matched for age and education level (control group)
- Able to communicate and understand basic language
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Refuse to participate in the study
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Mini-Mental State Examination
Time frame: on the day of enrollment
assess cognitive function, including orientation, memory, attention, language, and basic visuospatial ability
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 20 Mar 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Ke-Yun Chao, PhD principal investigator
Fu Jen Catholic University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Dementia and Alzheimer s Disease, run by Fu Jen Catholic University at 1 site in Taiwan.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Taiwan. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Ke-Yun Chao, PhD (+886-905-301-879, ck_qq@hotmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Mini-Mental State Examination (time frame: on the day of enrollment). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Mar 2026.