Relation between informant-rated personality and clinician-rated depression in patients with memory disorders.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to examine the convergent validity of informant-rated changes in depressive and related personality traits with clinician-assessed depression in memory-disordered patients.


BACKGROUND
Depressive symptoms are frequent complications in persons with dementias such as Alzheimer disease, and caregiver informants consistently report changes in depression and related neurotic traits on the NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI) in dementia patients.


METHODS
In 78 patients undergoing evaluation of memory complaints at an Alzheimer disease clinic, depression was characterized by clinical diagnosis, a clinician-rated scale, and informant ratings of premorbid versus current depression, anxiety, vulnerability, and neuroticism on the NEO-PI.


RESULTS
The diagnostic groups differed in meaningful patterns on the NEO-PI measures. Those with a diagnosis of major depression differed from never-depressed patients in all personality areas, although those with depressed mood differed only on NEO-PI depression. The clinician-rated depression scale correlated modestly with current personality and change from baseline personality.


CONCLUSIONS
The NEO-PI provides a useful measure of informants' perspectives on depressive personality changes in patients with memory disorders but does not correspond fully with a clinical syndrome of depression.
Clark
L M
LM
Psychology Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
Bosworth
H B
HB
Welsh-Bohmer
K A
KA
Dawson
D V
DV
Siegler
I C
IC
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results