Working Memory in Alzheimer Disease: a 5-year Systematic Review of Empirical Evidences from Baddeley’s Working Memory Model

The Alzheimer’s disease is the most common of the neurogenerative conditions associated with dementia. It is known as a pathological frame that comes with several impairments in cognitive and psychological processes. This study aimed to understand the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and Working Memory impairments. We adopted Baddeley’s Working Memory Model to systematically review if impairments in the subcomponents of this theoretical model – phonological loop, visual sketchpad, episodic buffer and central executive – follow distinct or similar paths. The systematic review consulted Medline, Psycinfo and Scielo databases. From 329 articles, only 11 were accepted by the established criteria. Results suggested that episodic buffer and central executive, respectively, decline with AD severity. Phonological loop and visual sketchpad are the last of the Baddeley’s Working Memory Model subcomponents impaired.