Neuroticism scores increase with late‐life cognitive decline

Waggel, Stephanie E.; Lipnicki, Darren M.; Delbaere, Kim; Kochan, Nicole A.; Draper, Brian; Andrews, Gavin; Sachdev, Perminder S.; Brodaty, Henry

doi:10.1002/gps.4251

Cited by 23 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 49 publications

(86 reference statements)

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“…Our study supports the claim that higher levels of Neuroticism are associated with poorer cognitive performance in healthy adults, in line with several cross‐sectional studies (Graham & Lachman, 2014; Saylik, Szamentat, Cheeta, 2018; Soubelet & Salthouse, 2011), and longitudinal findings that indicate higher Neuroticism is associated with greater cognitive decline in older adults (Luchetti et al, 2016; Waggel et al, 2015), major depression, and incident Alzheimer's disease (for a review see Terracicano & Sutin, 2019). These findings are consistent with the “mental noise hypothesis,” which suggests that individuals with higher Neuroticism experience more mental noise due to higher levels of anxiety, stress, worry‐related thoughts, aspects that contribute to distractions and can impair cognitive performance (Curtis et al, 2015; Robinson & Tamir, 2005; Robison, Gath, & Unsworth, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Personality‐cognition associations across the adult life span and potential moderators: Results from two cohorts

Simon

Lee

Stern

2020

Journal of Personality

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Objective Personality and cognitive abilities have been previously linked. However, there are inconsistencies regarding whether this relationship varies as a function of age, and a lack of evidence on whether gender contributes to this relation, particularly across the adulthood. Therefore, this study investigated the association between personality and cognition across the adult life span, accounting for age and gender. Methods We examined the association between personality and cognition in two large samples (Sample 1: N = 422; Sample 2: N = 549) including young, middle‐aged and older adults. Participants completed personality scales and several cognitive measures related to reasoning, language, memory and speed of processing. Structural equation modeling was applied in order to investigate associations between personality and cognition, and moderation of age and gender within this relationship. We also conducted a mini‐meta‐analysis procedure in order to examine personality‐cognition associations, combining results from the two samples. Results Openness was the main trait associated with cognitive performance; however, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism were also independently associated with cognition. Age and gender did not consistently moderate personality‐cognition in each sample, but the mini‐metanalysis showed that gender moderated Conscientiousness‐cognition associations. Conclusions We provided robust evidence of personality‐cognition associations across the adult life span, which was not consistently moderated by age, but in part by gender.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Personality‐cognition associations across the adult life span and potential moderators: Results from two cohorts

Simon

Lee

Stern

2020

Journal of Personality

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“…Furthermore, a 36-year longitudinal study based on self-report ratings found no personality changes in the preclinical phase of dementia, 40 suggesting that personality changes become evident during the prodromal and clinical phases of dementia. 37,38,41 However, research based on observer rating of neuropsychiatric symptoms found that these symptoms (also known as behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and the related mild behavioral impairment) may precede cognitive symptoms in some individuals. 42,43 To better understand the relation between personality traits and behavioral symptoms in the early phases leading to dementia, future longitudinal research should include both self-reports and observers' ratings of personality traits and behavioral symptoms because there may be differences across what individuals self-report vs what informants observe.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This pattern suggests the results are not only due to the presence of cognitive impairments. Furthermore, a 36‐year longitudinal study based on self‐report ratings found no personality changes in the preclinical phase of dementia, suggesting that personality changes become evident during the prodromal and clinical phases of dementia …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personality and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome

Stéphan

Sutin

Canada

et al. 2019

J American Geriatrics Society

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OBJECTIVES To examine whether five major personality traits are related to the motoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome, a pre‐dementia syndrome characterized by cognitive complaints and slow gait speed. DESIGN Cross‐sectional. SETTING Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the National Health and Aging Trends Survey (NHATS). PARTICIPANTS Dementia‐free older adults aged 65 to 107 years (N > 8000). MEASUREMENTS In both samples, participants provided data on personality, cognitive complaints, and measures of gait speed, as well as on demographic factors, physical activity, depressive symptoms, and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS Across the two samples and a meta‐analysis, higher neuroticism was related to higher risk of MCR (combined odds ratio [OR] = 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21‐1.45; P < .001), whereas higher extraversion (combined OR = .71; 95% CI = .65‐.79; P < .001) and conscientiousness (combined OR = .70; 95% CI = .62‐.78; P < .001) were associated with a lower likelihood of MCR. Higher openness was also related to a lower risk of MCR in the HRS and the meta‐analysis (combined OR = .77; 95% CI = .70‐.85; P < .001), whereas agreeableness was protective only in the HRS (OR = .83; 95% CI = .74‐.92; P < .001). Additional analyses indicated that physical activity, depressive symptoms, and BMI partially accounted for these associations. CONCLUSION This study adds to existing research on the factors related to the risk of MCR by showing an association with personality traits. Personality assessment may help to identify individuals who may be targeted by interventions focused on reducing the risk of MCR and ultimately of dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:803–808, 2020

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“…These authors suggest however that the application of CBT and its variants would be more effective if we know better the cognitive status of depressed elders. Some investigators proposed already the methods of evaluation of the actual mental state [7].…”

Section: Medical and Mental Target Risk Factors For Dementia Preventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical and Mental Target Risk Factors for Dementia Prevention

Brodziak¹,

Ziółko²

2016

J Gerontol Geriatr Res

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The authors draw attention to two current trends in search for relevant risk factors of cognitive impairment and dementia. They discuss whether the most important risk factors are somatic conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, diabetes. The authors indicate arguments, found in the literature that the impaired cognitive performance could be caused partly by the previous cognitive impacts. The authors point out that these two lines of research is combined by the occurrence of depression. They postulate, therefore, that assessment of the health of the older people should take into account the data of stressful events in childhood and youth. Important are also data about current living conditions, social conditions and the current mental and physical activity.

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Neuroticism scores increase with late‐life cognitive decline

Abstract: Late-life cognitive decline is associated with an increase in neuroticism scores. However, associations vary between different cognitive domains and components of neuroticism. An increase in neuroticism or negative affect scores may be a sign of MCI or dementia.

Cited by 23 publications

References 49 publications

Personality‐cognition associations across the adult life span and potential moderators: Results from two cohorts

Personality‐cognition associations across the adult life span and potential moderators: Results from two cohorts

Personality and Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome

Medical and Mental Target Risk Factors for Dementia Prevention

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