Specific Premorbid Personality Research Articles

Meta-Analysis of Personality Traits in Alzheimer's Disease: A Comparison with Healthy Subjects.

Background:The role of specific personality traits as factor risks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been consistently found, whereas personality traits specifically related to AD (after the diagnosis) have not been outlined yet.Objective:A meta-analysis of published studies was performed to determine whether AD patients have a distinctive personality trait profile compared to healthy subjects (HC), similar to or different from a premorbid personality profile consistently reported in previous studies.Methods:A systematic literature search was performed using PsycInfo (PROQUEST), PubMed, and Scopus. The meta-analysis pooled results from primary studies using Hedges’ g unbiased approach.Results:The meta-analysis included 10 primary studies and revealed that, when the personality was evaluated by informant-rated measures, AD patients had significantly higher levels of Neuroticism, lower levels of Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Extraversion than HCs. When the personality was evaluated by self-rated measures, the results obtained from informants were confirmed for Neuroticism, Openness, and Extraversion but not for Agreeableness and Conscientiousness where AD patients and HCs achieved similar scores.Conclusions:The meta-analysis revealed that high Neuroticism and low Openness and Extraversion are distinctive personality traits significantly associated with a diagnosis of AD when evaluated both self-rated and informant-rated measures. This personality trait profile is similar to premorbid one, which contributes to development of AD over time. Therefore, our findings indirectly support the idea of specific premorbid personality traits as harbingers of AD.

Interaction between personality traits and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer\u2019s disease pathology modulates cognitive performance

BackgroundDuring adulthood, personality characteristics may contribute to the individual capacity to compensate the impact of developing cerebral Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology on cognitive impairment in later life. In this study we aimed to investigate whether and how premorbid personality traits interact with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers of AD pathology to predict cognitive performance in subjects with mild cognitive impairment or mild AD dementia and in participants with normal cognition.MethodsOne hundred and ten subjects, of whom 66 were patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild AD dementia and 44 were healthy controls, had a comprehensive medical and neuropsychological examination as well as lumbar puncture to measure CSF biomarkers of AD pathology (amyloid beta1–42, phosphorylated tau and total-tau). Participants’ proxies completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, Form R to retrospectively assess subjects’ premorbid personality.ResultsIn hierarchical multivariate regression analyses, including age, gender, education, APOEε4 status and cognitive level, premorbid neuroticism, conscientiousness and agreeableness modulated the effect of CSF biomarkers on cognitive performance. Low premorbid openness independently predicted lower levels of cognitive functioning after controlling for biomarker concentrations.ConclusionOur findings suggest that specific premorbid personality traits are associated with cerebral AD pathology and modulate its impact on cognitive performance. Considering personality characteristics may help to appraise a person’s cognitive reserve and the risk of cognitive decline in later life.

Do personality traits predict the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease?

To identify specific premorbid personality traits in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). A prospective case-control study. A memory clinic of a department of geriatric medicine in a teaching hospital. Fifty-six consecutive patients with probable AD. Sixty-five controls with Parkinson's disease (PD). Premorbid personality traits were assessed using the relative rating version of the Munich Personality Test (MPT). The AD patients showed higher neuroticism than the controls with PD (p=0.013). In comparison with MPT normative values for psychiatric inpatients, the AD patients scored significantly (p<0.05) lower on neuroticism and higher on frustration tolerance and rigidity. Our results support the assumption of specific premorbid characteristics in AD patients, ie increased neuroticism and rigidity. More research is needed to confirm the existence of typical premorbid personality traits in AD.

Is phantom tooth pain a deafferentation (neuropathic) syndrome?: Part II: Psychosocial considerations

The symptoms of phantom tooth pain are often considered to be of psychological origin by those unfamiliar with its clinical characteristics. Part of the problem is that phantom tooth pain is often confused with atypical facial pain. Extensive literature exists for the latter that suggests a psychological cause. Many studies of atypical facial pain, however, suffer from one or more of four methodologic problems. In the present study, 115 phantom tooth pain cases are compared with a contrast group of 151 facial pain cases and 137 nonpain controls on a variety of personality characteristics. Only one trait personality factor, locus of control, statistically differentiates the three groups. The chief psychological difference of the phantom tooth pain sample compared with the control and contrast groups was higher scores on a measure of demoralization. Demoralization can be interpreted as a consequence as well as an antecedent of the chronic pain state. Evidence for each opinion is presented. Suggestions for obtaining informed consent of prospective endodontic patients are suggested. This study has not demonstrated that phantom tooth pain cases are characterized by a specific premorbid personality.

The 'temporomandibular pain dysfunction syndrome' personality: fact or fiction?

It is widely accepted that abnormal personality traits are important factors in the aetiology and maintenance of the temporomandibular pain and dysfunction syndrome (TMPDS). However, the foundation upon which this paradigm rests is largely based on clinical lore rather than evidence. The continued belief in the stress theory has onerous implications. First of all, clinicians could be lulled into a false sense of security about the efficacy of traditionally sanctioned treatments. Second, and potentially more important is the chilling effect on research that results from the premature and unsupported conclusions voiced by many, that certain issues regarding the diagnosis and treatment of TMPDS are solved. Such conclusions will lead not only to problems of patient care but may forge an unstable foundation for future research. Three theories are examined for convergent evidence in support of the putative relationship between personality and TMPDS. They are the 1) psychosomatic 2) coping and 3) psychophysiological theories. Currently evidence lacks for all three theories although there is partial support for the latter. It has not been demonstrated that TMPDS cases are characterized by a specific premorbid personality.

Problem of personality in psychosomatic medicine

The problem of participation of personality traits in rising of psychosomatic diseases is reviewed. Two aspects of the problem are discussed: the possible existence of specific premorbid personality structure in patients with different psychosomatic diseases (within the framework of psychological specificity concept) and personality traits common to many psychosomatic patients (alexithymic personality). It is concluded that only complex investigation of the aforesaid aspects may help to determine the role of personality factor in rising and course of psychosomatic diseases.

A Psychiatric Perspective on Cerebro Vascular Disease Leading to Aphasia

Although considerable study has been carried out concerning variables which might influence outcome of treatment of aphasic patients following cerebro vascular accidents, there is still much that is unable to be predicted at the onset of treatment The patient group in whom this is most relevant is that in which there is mild or moderate disturbance. In this group of patients, it is likely that premorbid personality characteristics, as well as the patient's reaction to the illness itself, play a part in the determination of response to treatment. Little has been written concerning the influence of specific premorbid personality in this context, although much has been written about the personality characteristics of patients with essential hypertension Since hypertension is one of the major risk factors for the development of stroke, we can learn something about these aspects by a study of these characteristics. It is apparent that retrospective study will be of limited value, although much can be gained by...

MANAGEMENT OF CATASTROPHIC REACTIONS IN CHILDREN

Kurt Goldstein's concept of catastrophic (1939, 1941, 1942) has been utilized primarily to understand the behavioral reactions of brain-damaged patients (Eisenberg, 1957). This paper will present an alternative formulation based upon my finding this phenomenon after any type of severe body injury with residual damage and relating more to specific premorbid personality factors than kinds or areas of injury. I suggest that the catastrophic reaction is a complex of defense mechanisms designed to ward off profound anxiety experienced by a person when massive forms of bodily insult threaten the whole structure of his lifelong adaptive and defensive patterns. The reaction occurs typically in individuals whose characteristic defenses have been predominantly counterphobic and who interpret any failure of function as destruction of their egos and death, a concept similar to the dread of aphanisis (Jones, 1929). The following brief clinical sketches are presented as illustrations of this thesis, and offer a basis for discussing the therapeutic implications.