title: Primary caregivers' descriptions of Alzheimer patients' personality traits: temporal stability and sensitivity to change.
abstract: Caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients provided characterizations of the patients' premorbid personality traits and current personality traits on two occasions nearly 1 year apart. Characterizations of pre-illness personality traits did not differ between the two assessments. Changes in personality over the year were found for neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness. The findings support the reliability of observer's descriptions of premorbid personality using the NEO-PI and the sensitivity of the instrument to personality change in dementia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7123.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pasupathi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D010552:Personality Assessment