General Discussion

Hallucinations are sensory experiences that do not correspond to reality. They can be visual, auditory, olfactory (smell), or tactile (touch).

Up to 50 percent of patients with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias (ADRDs) experience hallucinations. While visual hallucinations are the most common, the type and frequency can depend on the specific diagnosis.

For example, hallucinations often appear earlier in patients with Lewy body dementia (LBD), and those patients might even retain awareness that their experiences are not real. In patients with vascular dementia, the location of brain damage can influence the type of hallucinations.