The lack of standardized assessment instruments and the heterogeneity of the methods and samples used across studies hamper comparisons. Future researches should investigate facial expression recognition through more ecological and standardized methods.

Metamemory is the awareness of one’s own knowledge and control of memory, and refers to the online ability to gather information about the current state of the memory system.Objective:Metamemory is one’s own knowledge and control of memory. A systematic review was performed to identify the types of tasks used for evaluating metamemory monitoring, the stimuli used in these tasks, their limitations and the outcomes in people with Alzheimer’s disease (PwAD).Methods:This systematic review followed PRISMA methodology. A search of Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science electronic databases was carried out in September, 2018, identifying experimental investigations of metamemory and dementia.Results:We included 21 studies. The most common tasks used were judgement of learning, feeling of knowing, judgement of confidence and global prediction. The rates of discrepancy between PwAD and caregivers still need further research. The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test was the most used list of words. PwAD are able to accurately rate their memory functioning and performance, when the evaluation is done soon afterwards. PwAD tend to overestimate their functioning and performance when the judgement involves forward-looking vision.Conclusion:In the context of metamemory impairment, clinicians and caregivers should seek interventions aiming to identify compensatory styles of functioning. This systematic review provides initial evidence for the use of metamemory measures as part of broader assessments evaluating Alzheimer’s disease.

Introduction: Social cognition (SC) is a complex construct that reflects a wide variety of implicit and explicit cognitive processes. Many neurocognitive domains are associated with SC and the executive function (EF) is the most representative one. We conducted a systematic review aiming at clarifying whether SC impairments are associated with dysfunction on EF in people with Alzheimer Disease (AD). Methods: The search, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), was undertaken between January 2007 and December 2019 using Pubmed, SciELO, BIREME and Thomson Reuters Web of Science electronic databases. The keywords were SC, AD, EF, Neuropsychological functioning and Executive Disorder. Results: One hundred thirty-six articles were identified and fifteen were included. These studies are not in agreement about the extent of SC deficits in AD, mainly in the mild stage of the disease. EF deficits, specifically inhibition and the ability to manipulate verbal information, are associated with the impairment in SC in AD. SC decreases with the disease progression, a relationship explained by global cognition impairment and SC specific symptoms. Conclusion: SC impairment is associated with disease progression, mainly because of the decline in EF. Studies on SC components are unequal, contributing to a frequent generalization of Theory of Mind results, and often hampering the investigation of other components, mainly empathy. More precise knowledge about SC functioning in AD may contribute to a better understanding of the behavioral changes and interpersonal interactions.

People with Alzheimer dementia (PwAD) who are aware of their overall cognitive function and diagnosis are more likely to be judged competent in decision-making capacity. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between decision-making capacity and the different domains of awareness and the relationship between decision-making capacity and the cognitive and clinical impairment of the PwAD. Using a cross-sectional design, we included 121 PwAD and their caregivers. Awareness was assessed across domains, including cognitive functioning and health condition, functional activity impairments, emotional state, social functioning, and interpersonal relationships. The MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Treatment was adopted to gather information about decision-making abilities. We found that decision-making capacity is related to the cognitive and functional domains of awareness and relatively independent of the emotional functioning and the relationship domains. Our finding highlighted that PwAD who are unaware of the disease or the cognitive and functional impairments might be unlikely to appreciate the personal benefits of a proposed health treatment or to understand and judge the personal consequences of a decision accurately.

Emotional processing involves the ability of the individual to infer emotional information. There is no consensus about how Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects emotional processing. Objective: Our aim is to systematically review the impact of AD on emotion processing. Methods: We conducted a search based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The literature search was performed using the electronic databases MEDLINE (PubMed) and Science Citation Index (Institute for Scientific Information [ISI]). The following descriptors were used in the review process: emotion or emotional processing, cognition or cognitive functions, and Alzheimer disease or Alzheimer’s disease. This systematic review was recorded in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under the number CRD42018115891. Results: We identified 425 articles, 19 of which met our criteria. Visual emotional stimuli were the most used among studies. Most studies used tasks of emotional naming, discrimination, identification, and correspondence. The results were contradictory. Many studies reported that individuals with AD were impaired on emotional perception tasks, while other results reported preserved skills. The relationship between emotional processing and cognition is also unclear. Some studies suggested that general cognitive performance affects performance in emotional perception tasks among people with AD, but other studies have shown deficits in recognizing emotion, regardless of cognitive performance. Conclusions: Studies are scarce, present contradictory results, and report impairment in emotional processing in relation to cognition. Moreover, the analyses of the correlation between emotion processing and cognitive functioning failed to reveal clear relationships.

Background: Emotional processing involves the ability of the individual to infer emotional information. There is no consensus about how Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects emotional processing. Objective: We aim to systematically review the impact of AD on emotion processing Method: We conducted a search based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The literature search was performed using the electronic databases MEDLINE (Pubmed) and Science Citation Index (ISI). The following descriptors were used in the review process: emotion or emotional processing, cognition or cognitive functions and Alzheimer disease or Alzheimer’s disease. This systematic review was recorded in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under the number CRD42018115891. Results: We identified 425 articles, 19 of which met our criteria. Visual emotional stimuli were the most used among studies. Most studies used tasks of emotional naming, discrimination, identification and correspondence. The results were contradictory. Many studies reported that individuals with AD were impaired on emotional perception tasks, while others results reported preserved skills. The relationship between emotional processing and cognition is also unclear. Some studies suggested that general cognitive performance affects performance in emotional perception tasks among people with AD, but other studies have shown deficits in recognizing emotion, regardless cognitive performance. Conclusions: Studies are scarce, present contradictory results, and report impairment in emotional processing in relation to cognition. Moreover, analyzes of correlation between emotion processing and cognitive functioning failed to reveal clear relationships.