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Episodic and Semantic Autobiographical Memory in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): A Systematic Review
Giulia Marselli1, Francesca Favieri2, Maria Casagrande2
1Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Introduction:
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a syndrome defined as a decline in cognitive performance greater than expected for an individual according to age and education level, not interfering notably with daily life activities. Many studies have focused on the memory domain in the analysis of MCI and more severe cases of dementia. One specific memory system is represented by autobiographical memory (AM), which has been largely studied in Alzheimer's disease and its effect on AM; however, the impairment of AM in moderate forms of decline, such as MCI, is still controversial.
Objective:
The main aim of this systematic review is to analyze the functioning of autobiographical memory in patients with MCI, considering both the semantic and the episodic components.
Materials:
The review process was conducted according to the PRISMA statement. The search was conducted until 20 February 2023 in the following bibliographical databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycInfo, and twenty-one articles were included.
Results:
The results highlight controversial findings concerning the semantic component of AM since only seven studies have found a worse semantic AM performance in patients with MCI compared to the HC group. The results of impaired episodic AM in individuals with MCI are more consistent than those concerning semantic AM.
Conclusions:
Starting from the evidence of this systematic review, further studies should detect and investigate the cognitive and emotional mechanisms that undermine AM performance, allowing the development of specific interventions targeting these mechanisms.
Insights
This systematic review found that episodic autobiographical memory (AM) is consistently impaired in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), while semantic AM functioning remains controversial. Further research is needed to understand underlying mechanisms for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) involves cognitive decline not significantly impacting daily activities.
- Autobiographical memory (AM) is crucial but its impairment in MCI is debated, unlike in Alzheimer's disease.
- Research has primarily focused on memory deficits in dementia, leaving MCI's AM profile less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and analyze the functioning of autobiographical memory (AM) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
- To differentiate the impact of MCI on both semantic and episodic components of autobiographical memory.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review conducted following PRISMA guidelines.
- Comprehensive literature search across PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycInfo databases until February 20, 2023.
- Inclusion of twenty-one relevant articles for analysis.
Main Results:
- Findings on semantic autobiographical memory (AM) in MCI are controversial, with only seven studies showing worse performance compared to healthy controls (HC).
- Episodic autobiographical memory (AM) impairment in individuals with MCI is more consistently reported across studies.
- The review highlights variability in semantic AM deficits within the MCI population.
Conclusions:
- The current evidence suggests a more consistent deficit in episodic AM compared to semantic AM in mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
- Further research is essential to identify the specific cognitive and emotional mechanisms underlying AM performance in MCI.
- Understanding these mechanisms will facilitate the development of targeted interventions for individuals with MCI.
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