From memory to identity: the impact of mild cognitive impairment on autobiographical memory and its implications for clinical practice and research

The research activity presented in this thesis work falls within a period of historical significance for the study of age-related conditions, since the United Nations General Assembly has designated the period between 2021 and 2030 as the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing. In this context, healthcare systems need to provide early support and resources for the management of age-related conditions. Past autobiographical memories are extremely significant to older people, as well as to their caregivers, since they are associated with one’s identity and emotional state, as well as with mood, social functioning, and abilities such as problem-solving. Many researchers have focused on studying the changes in the functioning of autobiographical memory in patients with dementia. While the effects of Alzheimer’s disease on autobiographical memory are well-researched, its impact on milder forms of decline, such as MCI, remains debated. Consequently, this project aims to investigate how autobiographical memory functions in the context of both normal and pathological aging. In light of these considerations, this work will be divided into five chapters: the first two chapters will focus on a bibliographic introduction to the main theories and models related to the concepts of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and autobiographical memory; the third chapter describes a systematic review of the literature aiming to analyze the functioning of autobiographical memory in patients with MCI; the fourth chapter illustrates the attempt to revise a new instrument for assessing autobiographical memory in the Italian population, the Autobiographical Memory of the Self (Memoria Autobiografica del Sé; MA-SElf); finally, the final chapter depicts a study aiming to investigate whether the MA-SElf discriminates between individuals with a normal cognitive profile and patients with MCI.