Selected Cognitive and Personality Traits in Patient with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Abstract

Problem Statement: Early diagnosis MCI raises the possibility of decreasing the progress of neurodegenerative diseases. The study deals with the structure of neurotic personality traits in patients with MCI. Research Questions: What are the selected cognitive and neurotic personality traits in patients with MCI (N=38) and how are these neurotic symptoms connected? Purpose of the Study: The aim of the study is to identify cognitive profiles and occurrence of the neurotic personality traits in MCI patients. We focus on relations between the selected neurotic symptoms in patients with MCI. Research Methods: To testify cognitive deficit in MCI patients, we used 30-point scale Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Neurotic traits in MCI patients were diagnosed by the Neurotic questionnaire N-5. Findings: Cognitive profiles of MCI patients show a memory and an attention problem as well as a decrease of psycho-motoric pace and a moderate decrease in executive functions and thinking. The decrease of cognitive functions is reflected into the patient's self-image and his psychical experience. The memory problems were connected with sleep disorders, a lack of attention, fatigue, sorrowfulness, anxiety and sensibility. Pessimism was a result of a self-uncertainty. The vegetative and psychological symptoms were closely connected. Conclusion: The recognition of the cognitive profiles and the identification of the neurotic traits in MCI patients as danger factors for the Alzheimer disease or other dementia show as an important part of the secondary prevention. The recognition of the connection strength between the neurotic symptoms shows as one of the psychological predictors of MCI.