Which aspects of cognitive function are best associated with testamentary capacity in patients with Alzheimer's disease?

摘要

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the commonest cause of dementia, with the prevalence doubling every five years. The number of cases of AD in the United Kingdom will reach 870,000 by 2010 (Alzheimer's Disease International, 1999). The disease is characterised by impairment of cognitive function, which may affect capacity to varying degrees (Derse, 1999). As the number of cases of dementia increases, it is anticipated that there will be an increase in the number of contested wills. Testamentary capacity (TC) is the degree of understanding the Law requires a will-maker to possess, defined by the 1870 case of Banks vs Goodfellow (British Geriatrics Society, 1997).