S4-03-01: Personality and risk of cognitive impairment in old age

Abstract

Recent epidemiologic research suggests that selected dimensions of personality may affect risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in old age. This presentation will consider two triats: neuroticism, which refers to the tendency to experience psychological distress, and conscientiousness, which refers to the tendency to control impulses and be goal-directed. Review of recent data from epidemiologic and clinical-pathologic studies. High neuroticism/distress predicts loss of cognition in the form of increased incidence of MCI and AD and more rapid cognitive decline. Level of distress does not appear to increase during the prodromal phase of AD, however, or to be correlated with the neuropathologic lesions most commonly seen in persons with AD and other forms of dementia (ie, amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, Lewy bodies, cerebral infarctions). The applicability of animal models of chronic stress to these observations will be discussed. In addition, data will be presented showing lower level of conscientiousness to be associated with increased loss of cognition, even after controlling for neuroticism, despite a lack of association with common age-related neuropathologic lesions. Personality contributes to risk of MCI and dementia in old age but does not appear to be related to the neuropathologic lesions traditionally associated with these conditions. Understanding the neurobiologic mechanisms through which personality affects cognition in late life may suggest novel strategies for delaying the onset of dementia in old age.