Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41168747›Full record

SynthesisBMC medical ethics2025

Ethical dilemmas in the care of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias unable to give informed consent: positioning Lebanon within the Global North-South context.

Zeinab Al Mokdad, Ali Msheik, Lubna Tarabey, Fadi Abou-Mrad, Patricia Fadel

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC medical ethics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Zeinab Al MokdadMasters of Bioethics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Ali MsheikFaculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon. amsheik@hamad.qa.
Lubna TarabeyDivision of Medical Ethics, Institute of Social Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Fadi Abou-MradDivision of Neurology, Memory Clinic, Sacré-Coeur Hospital, Hazmieh, Lebanon.
Patricia FadelBellevue Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Balamand University, Beirut, Lebanon.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAs dementia progresses, individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia often lose decision-making capacity, raising complex ethical challenges related to autonomy, surrogate decision-making, dignity, privacy, and justice. This review examines the dilemmas in caring for patients who are no longer capable of providing informed consent, comparing Lebanon's situation with those of countries across the Global North and South, and proposes practical, culturally grounded recommendations for improvement.

objectiveTo conduct a comprehensive thematic review comparing international practices with Lebanon's ethical, legal, and institutional approaches to caring for individuals with advanced dementia who lack capacity.

methodsA systematic yet flexible review approach, guided by the PRISMA framework, was applied. Studies focusing on Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library up to April 2025. A total of 121 studies, including 112 international and 9 from Lebanon, met the inclusion criteria. These included qualitative, quantitative, and policy sources. Studies were thematically analyzed for ethical relevance across five themes.

resultsFive major ethical themes emerged: surrogate decision-making, patient autonomy, surveillance and technology, legal frameworks, and cultural and economic factors. A clear North-South divide was observed, with countries in the Global North generally relying on formal legal safeguards, advance directives, and structured institutional ethics oversight. In contrast, Lebanon and comparable countries in the Global South often operated with informal, family-centered models, limited legal clarity, and minimal institutional ethics support.

conclusionLebanon reflects broader Global South patterns: strong familial caregiving traditions, but inadequate legal and institutional frameworks to ensure dignity-based, ethically consistent care. This review proposes culturally sensitive reforms in law, public education, and ethics infrastructure to better protect the rights and dignity of individuals with advanced dementia.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseDecision MakingDementiaInformed ConsentMental CompetencyEthical DilemmasHumansLebanonPersonal Autonomy

Identifiers

PMID41168747
PMCPMC12574279

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.