ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I demonstrate that qualitative methods of investigation can reveal the existence of significant intact cognitive and social abilities possessed by people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in the moderate-to-severe stages. These same abilities are not and cannot be revealed through the use of standard neuropsychological tests that are (1) typically administered in clinical settings and (2) used as outcome measures to quantify various cognitive functions in drug efficacy studies. Case studies of people with AD are used to illustrate the important value of qualitative methods and how such methods are valid and complementary to quantitative methods.
