Hallucinations and Covid-19: Increased Occurrence of Hallucinations in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease During Lockdown

El Haj, Mohamad; Larøi, Frank; Gallouj, Karim

We investigated the effects of lockdown, as implemented by retirement homes to cope with the spread of Covid-19, on hallucinatory experiences in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study included 47 patients with AD living in retirement homes and who were already experiencing hallucinations prior to the lockdown. We invited caregivers to rate hallucinatory experiences in these patients during the lockdown, and compared this rating with that provided by the same caregivers prior to the lockdown. Results demonstrated increased hallucinatory experiences in patients with AD during the lockdown, compared with before the lockdown. The decrease in social and physical activities during the lockdown, and especially, the physical separation of residents from family members, might have led to decreased sensory stimulation and increased loneliness, and consequently, to the hallucinatory experiences in patients with AD living in retirement homes during the lockdown. While the restrictive measures were necessary to cope with the spread of Covid-19, these measures have increased hallucinations in patients with AD living in retirement homes, at least in those who were already experiencing hallucinations prior to the lockdown.