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. 2015 Jul 24;6(1):139–149. doi: 10.1515/tnsci-2015-0013

Table 1.

Characteristics of the studies examining emotion perception in MCI and AD.

Author Year Subjects characteristics Emotional tasks Emotions (Control) Tasks Results Effect sizes (Cohen’s d)
AD MCI HC
Albert et al. [12] 1991 N: 19 A 89.6; G 21% M; N: 19 A 87.5; G 31.6% M FEEST Hap, Sad, Ang, Indif Cognitive Abilities Screening Test, MDRS, standard neuropsychological testing AD < HC: labelling −1.48
Bediou et al. [13] 2009 N: 10 A 72±9; G 50% M; MMSE 21±2 N: 10 A 73±9; G 50% M; MMSE 27±2 N: 10 A 70±6; G 50% M; MMSE 30 Morphed photographs Hap, Fear, Ang, Dis, Neu RL/RI-16 test; TMT B; Verbal fluency; picture naming task; BDI; facial gender task AD < HC: overall, −1.09
Ang −0.76
aMCI = HC (overall); AD −0.34
< HC 60% morphing intensity 0.99
Bertoux et al. [14] 2014 N: 33 A 71.6±9.9; G 48.48% M; MMSE 24.2±2.9 N: 30 A 66.2±9.9; G 43.33% M; MMSE 29±0.9 FEEST Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Sur, Dis, Neu Frontal Assessment Battery AD < HC: overall, −0.89
Hap; −0.45
Sad; −0.64
moderate AD < HC:
Hap; −0.86
Dis; −0.80
Sur; −0.85
Ang; −0.81
Sad; −1.42
Moderate AD < mild
AD: Ang −0.98
Sad −1.38
Bucks & Radford [15] 2004 N: 12 A 75.5±7.5; G 33.33% M; MMSE 18.8±2.9 N: 12 A 74.4±7.1; G 58,33 % M; MMSE 28±1 FAB Hap, Sad, Ang, Fear Facial identity discrimination AD < HC: total FAB score; −2.11
Facial affect selection −1.13
AD = HC: facial affect naming −0.40
Burnham et al. [16] 2004 N: 13 A 76±8; G 61.5% M; MMSE 21±7.3 N: 13 A 73±5 G 76.9% M; MMSE 29±.08 FEEST Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Dis, Sur CAMDEX, expression matching AD = HC No data available
Cadieux & Greve [17] 1997 N: 8 low spatial A 75.9±6.5; G 12.5% M N: 15 A 69.1±4.9; G 6.67% M; FAB Hap, Sad, Ang, Fear, Neu BNT, WISC-R Block Design, MDRS Low spatial AD<HC:
Facial affect selection 3.06
Discrimination 2.08
Affect naming 0.02
Low verbal AD<HC:
N: 10 low verbal A 77.6±5.5; G 20% M; Facial affect selection −1.62
Discrimination −1.76
Affect naming −1.42
Drapeau et al. [18] 2009 N: 7 A 74±9; G 42.9% M; MMSE 23.3±4 N: 16 A 72±6; G 31.25% M; MMSE 27.9±1.0 FEEST Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Sur, Dis AD < HC: Sad −0.99
Fear −0.83
Dis −0.99
Fernandez-Duque & Black [19] 2005 N: 9 A 70.1±7; G 55.5% M; MMSE 24.8±2.0 N: 10 A 65.1±8.4; G 40% M; MMSE 29±0.7 FEEST Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Sur, Dis Neuropsychological assessment, Cornell Scale, NPI, BFRT AD = HC labelling 0.00
Fuije et al. [20] 2008 16 aMCI A 71.7±7.1; G 25% M; MMSE 27.2±2.3 14 HC A 74.1±3.2; G 28.57% M; MMSE 28.8±1.4 FEEST Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Sur, Dis, Neu ADAS, BFRT, logical memory WMS-R aMCI < HC: overall, −0.88
Ang −0.85
Sad −0.98
Freedman et al. [21] 2013 N: 21 A 71.6±13.3; G 57% M; MMSE 24.6±3.4 N: 31 A 65±11; G 47.6% M; MMSE 29.1±0.9 FEEST Hap, Sad, Ang, Neu BFRT, WCST AD = HC −0.18
Guaita et al. [22] 2009 N: 79 A 80±8; MMSE 14.28±5.33 N: 64 A 76±7; MMSE 27.83±3.35 7 male and 7 female faces Hap, Sad, Fear, Dis, Bored, Ang, Sur CDR, BI AD = HC No data available
Hargrave et al. [23] 2002 N: 22 A 74±8.8; G 54.5% M; MMSE 18.4±4.4 N: 14 A 68±6.1; G 28.6% M MMSE 29.1±1.4 Facial Emotion Matching, Facial Emotion Labelling, Same-different Emotion Differentiation Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Sur, Dis BFRT, HDS, STAI AD < HC: overall −1.38
Sad −1.08
Sur −0.71
Dis −0.87
Henry et al. [24] 2009 N: 34 A 79.4±6.12; G 47% M; MMSE 26.0±3.6 N: 38 A 78.7±4.53; G 50% M MMSE 27.9±1.5 N: 34 A 77.2±4.3; G 44% M MMSE 28.6±1.4 FEEST Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Sur, Dis Verbal Fluency, TMT AD < MCI: overall −0.90
AD < HC: overall Hap best recognized, then Sur, Sad, Dis, Ang, and Fear lowest. −1.59
Hsieh et al. [25] 2012 N: 12 A 62.9±8.2; G 75% M; MMSE 24.8±3.4 N: 20 A 66.5 ± 7.2; G 65% M; MMSE 29.2±0.9 FEEST Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Sur, Dis ACE-R, BNT-15, MBEA-scale, Animal Fluency, RCFT-copy AD=HC No data available
Kohler et al. [26] 2005 N: 20 A 75.9 ± 9.1; G 55% M; MMSE 22.7±4.2 N: 22 A 69.4 ±7.6; G 42.9% M; MMSE 29.5±0.9 Penn Emotion Recognition Test PEAT Hap, Sad, Ang, Fear, Neu Emodiff AD < HC: overall −1.43
Hap −0.66
Sad −1.21
Fear −1.02
AD = HC: Ang −0.52
Neu higher intensity, better recognition (no group effects) −0.62
Lavenu et al. [27] 2005 N: 20 A 70.7 ± 6.0; G 20% M; MMSE 22.9±3.2 N: 12 A 65.7.4 ±6.9; G 50% M; MMSE 29.5±0.5 FEEST Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Sur, Dis, Cont MDRS, neuropsychological battery AD = HC: overall −0.90
AD < HC: Fear −0.89
Cont −0.98
Maki et al. [28] 2013 N: 12 A 81.1 ± 9.2 N: 17 A 76.8 ± 3.5 Coloured face images, averaged by morphing Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Sur, Dis GDS – short form AD < HC: Sad −0.89
Sur −0.83
Ang −2.39
McCade et al. [29] 2013 N: 19 aMCI A 69.63 ± 7.25 G 58.33% M MMSE 26.9±1,8 N: 18 naMCI A 63.78 ± 8.2 G 38.89% M MMSE 28.6±1.2 N: 19 A 64.79 ± 8.45 G 47,47% M MMSE 29.3±0.8 FEEST, emotion identification task, movie stills task Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Sur, Dis Digit Span, Logical Memory (WAIS-III), RCFT, semantic fluency, BNT, TMT A&B, COWAT, BFRT aMCI < HC: Ang −0.95
McCade et. al. [30] 2013 N: 29 aMCI A 68.97 ± 7.30 G 41,37% M MMSE 27.2±1.8 N: 27naMCI A 64.48 ± 8.53 G 48,15% M MMSE 28.6±1.4 N: 22 A 65,18 ± 8.37 G 40,41% M MMSE 29.3±0.8 FEEST Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Sur, Dis WTAR, HDS, BFRT, neuropsychological tests, WHODAS-II, ZBI aMCI < naMCI: Ang −0.63
aMCI < HC: Ang −1.02
Ogrocki et al. [31] 2000 N: 17 A 73.9 ± 7.8 G 41% M MMSE 21.8±3.8 N: 15 A 72.7 ± 4.1 G 33% M MMSE 29.2±0.7 FEEST Hap, Sad, Ang, Neu Complete neuropsychological assessment, Lighthouse Near Visuel Acuity Chart, Pelli-Robson Contrast Sensitivity Chart 4K AD = HC −0.27
Phillips et al. [4] 2010 N: 27 A 74.37±9.03 G 44.44% M MMSE 22.1±4.2 N: 30 A 72.97±7.51 G 30% M MMSE 29.4±1 FEEST Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Sur, Dis GDS-15, QoL-AD; BFRT, Letter fluency, Stroop AD < HC: overall −1.19
100%: Sad, −0.55
Ang −0.78
Sur −0.55
Fear −0.73
75%: Hap −0.69
Sad −0.65
Fear −0.55
Ang −0.84
Sur −0.93
Dis −0.68
Richard-Mornas et al. [32] 2012 N: 12 A 68.5±5.3; G 41.7% M; MMSE 26.4±1.3 N: 17 A 70±5.3; G 58.8% M; MMSE 30±0.7 Morphed faces Bediou et al. [16] Hap, Ang, Fear, Neu BFRT, Apathy Evaluation, GDS - short form aMCI < HC: Fear 1.02
Roudier et al. [33] 1998 N: 31 A 80.47±8.94; G 6.45% M; MMSE 16.2±1.7 N: 14 A 81.07±7.09; G 7.14% M; MMSE 26.07±1.79 FEEST Hap, Sad, Ang, Indif Raven’s Progressive Matrices AD < HC: discrimination of facial identity; −0.83
verbal identification emotions −0.74
AD = HC: discrimination of emotional expression −0.15
Shimokawa et al. [34] 2000 N: 25 A 80.2±6.5; G 24% M; MMSE 13.0±4.4 N: 12 A 76.5±4.5; G 41.67% M; MMSE 28±1.3 Drawings of emotional faces and emotional situations Ang, Hap, Sad, Sur Figure identification task AD < HC: overall −1.74
Spoletini et al. [35] 2008 N: 50 A 72.68±6.89; G 50% M; MMSE 22.0±3.3 N: 50 A 71.2±7.49; G 54% M; MMSE 26.7±2.5 N: 50 A 71.84±7.35 G 44% M; MMSE 27.8±1.8 Penn Emotion Recognition Test (8 low and 8 high intensity of each emotion) Hap, Sad, Ang, Fear, Dis, Neu MDB, RCFT; BFRT, Stroop AD < aMCI & HC:
Hap −0.55
Sad −0.60
Ang −0.71
Fear −0.62
AD < HC dis −0.43
aMCI = HC all emotions −0.07 – −0.35
High intensity:
AD < HC: Hap −0.36
AD < aMCI & HC: Sad −0.53
Ang, −0.82
Fear −0.74
aMCI = HC.
Low intensity:
AD < aMCI & HC: Hap −0.60
Sad −0.48
AD < HC: Dis −0.42
Fear −0.41
Teng et al. [36] 2007 N: 9 aMCI A 79.4±3.8; G 77.8% M; MMSE 26.9±2.8 N: 68 A 69.5±9.5; G 57.4%M; MMSE 29.2±0.9 FAB Hap, Sad, Ang, Fear Facial identity discrimination task naMCI<aMCI & HC
aMCI = HC		 −0.54
no data available
N: 14 naMCI A 72.8±7.7; G 50% M; MMSE 26.4±2.7
Varjassyová et al. [37] 2013 N: 10 aMCI A 74.0 ± 5.0 G 30% M MMSE 28.4±1.8 N: 18 A 69.3 ± 7.6 G 33.3% M MMSE 29.3±0.9 FEEST Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Dis, Sur Famous faces identification, GDS, Hachinski Ischemic Scale, neuropsychological evaluation naMCI < aMCI: overall
naMCI<HC overall		 −1.33
−1.25
N: 12 naMCI A 77.8 ± 10.0 G 50% M MMSE 26.8±2.3
Wiechetek Ostos et al. [38] 2011 N: 12 A 80.6±6.3 G 41.7% M MMSE 23.4±3.2 N: 12 A 70.5±6.0 G 16.7% M MMSE 29.7±0.5 Multimodal Emotion Recognition Test Hap, Sad, Fear, Ang, Dis CDR, cognitive assessment, HDS, NPI, Questionnaires AD < HC: overall −1.27
Dis −1.49
Fear −1.20
Weiss et al. [39] 2008 N: 32 Early AD A 76.7±8.0 G 31.25% M MMSE 22.5±1.5 N: 21 MCI-SD A 72.8±6.5 G 28.57% M MMSE 27.0±1.0 N: 35 A 70.8±7.5 G 28.57% M MMSE 28.9±1.0 Penn Emotion Recognition Test Hap, Sad, Ang, Fear, Neu GDS MCI-SD=MCI-MD; MCI-SD=HC;
MCI-MD < HC: overall −1.34
Sad −0.71
Fear −0.75
Neu −1.38
Early AD < HC: overall −1.39
sad −0.74
fear −1.04
neutral −0.69
Moderate AD < HC:
23 Moderate AD A 80.1±6.2 G 30.43% M MMSE 16.3±2.7 30 MCI-MD A 74.3±7.0 G 33.33% M MMSE 26.0±1.1 overall −1.87
Hap −1.04
Sad −0.98
Fear −1.48
Neu −1.40

A = Age; ACE-R = Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination – Revised; AD = Alzheimer’s dementia; aMCI = Amnestic MCI; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory; BFRT = Benton Facial Recognition Test, BI = Bartel Index; BNT = Boston Naming Test; CAMDEX = Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination; CDR = Clinical Dementia Rating Scale; CI = cognitive impairment; COWAT = Controlled Oral Word Association Test; MDRS = Mattis Dementia Rating Scale; FAB = Florida Affect Battery; FEEST = Facial Expressions of Emotion: Stimuli and Tests; G = Gender,; GDS = Geriatric Depression Scale; HC = healthy controls; HDS = Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; M= Male, MCI-SD = MCI single domain, MCI-MD = MCI multi domain, MDB = Mental Deterioration Battery; MMSE = Mini Mental State Examination; naMCI = Non-amnestic MCI; NPI = Neuropsychiatric Inventory; STAI = State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; TMT = Trail Making Test; PEAT = Penn Emotion Acuity Test; RCFT = Rey Complex Figure Test; WCST = Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ; WISC-R = Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised