RESUMEN La memoria congruente con el estado afectivo se define como la facilitación para recordar material emocional cuando la valencia emocional de este material es congruente con el estado afectivo actual. Este fenómeno tiene importantes implicaciones clínicas, especialmente por su implicación en los trastornos del estado de ánimo, como la depresión. Esta revisión sistemática analiza los factores que contribuyen a la aparición de la memoria congruente con el estado afectivo en adultos sanos y sus implicaciones teóricas y clínicas. Se argumenta que las características del material utilizado en la tarea de memoria (por ejemplo, estructura, intensidad de valencia, autoreferencia frente a la de otros) y las características de los participantes (por ejemplo, personalidad, estimulación fisiológica) son factores aptos a modular la presencia de este fenómeno. Por último, existe una necesidad de realizar más estudios que investiguen el fenómeno en entornos más ecológicos y que exploren los correlatos neuroanatómicos subyacentes al efecto de la memoria congruente con el estado afectivo.

RESUMO A memória congruente com o humor (MCH) é definida como a facilitação para se recordar de determinado material emocional quando sua valência emocional é congruente ao humor atual. Esse fenômeno tem importantes implicações clínicas, principalmente por seu envolvimento com transtornos de humor, como a depressão. Esta revisão sistemática discute os fatores que contribuem para a ocorrência de MCH em adultos saudáveis, assim como suas implicações teóricas e clínicas. Argumentamos que as características do material usado na tarefa de memória (e.g., estrutura, intensidade de valência, autorreferência vs referência ao outro) e as características dos participantes (e.g., personalidade, excitação fisiológica) são fatores capazes de modular a presença de MCH. Em última análise, há necessidade da realização de estudos que investiguem o fenômeno em ambientes mais ecológicos e que explorem os correlatos neuroanatômicos subjacentes ao efeito de MCH.

ABSTRACT Mood-congruent memory (MCM) is defined as the facilitation to remember emotional material when the emotional valence of this material is congruent with current mood. This phenomenon has important clinical implications, especially because of its involvement in mood disorders, such as depression. This systematic review discusses the factors contributing to the occurrence of MCM in healthy adults and its theoretical and clinical implications. We argue that characteristics of the material used in the memory task (e.g., structure, valence intensity, self vs other-reference) and characteristics of the participants (e.g., personality, physiological arousal) are factors likely to modulate the presence of MCM. Ultimately, there is a need for further research investigating the phenomenon in more ecological settings and exploring the neuroanatomical correlates underlying the effect of MCM.

A common feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is lack of awareness of neuropsychological deficit or illness, including poor appreciation of impaired task performance. Nevertheless, it has been shown in different clinical groups that levels of awareness may vary according to whether appraisal of symptoms is made in a first-or third-person perspective. This study explored this issue further in two experiments in which people with AD and control participants completed tests of memory and reaction time and had to judge both how difficult the tasks were for them and also for other people if they attempted the same tasks. Results showed that the AD group systematically indicated that others would do as well as they themselves had done. In comparison, control participants indicated other people would perform worse than they did themselves on the reaction time tasks, but similarly on the memory tasks. In addition, attribution of difficulty for self/other correlated with pre-morbid personality traits, such as neuroticism and agreeableness, in the AD group. The theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.