Abstract

While language, memory, and executive function have been proposed as differential markers between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), recent studies emphasize the role of Social Cognition (SC) and Theory of Mind (ToM) in distinguishing between these conditions. Aim: To characterize SC and ToM performance in patients with AD and bvFTD. Methodology: This review followed PRISMA guidelines and included studies published between January 2015 and March 2024 from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Results: Fourteen studies were critically analyzed. Findings suggest that SC and ToM are impaired in both disorders. In AD, the main deficits involve emotional recognition and perception, and social behavior. In bvFTD, common impairments include decision-making, emotion recognition, social behavior, and empathy loss. Conclusions: SC and ToM may support the differential diagnosis between AD and bvFTD, particularly in early stages. Further research is needed to develop standardized assessments for clinical use to detect and classify the severity of SC and ToM decline.