Do personality traits predict the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease?
OBJECTIVE
To identify specific premorbid personality traits in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).


METHODS
A prospective case-control study.


METHODS
A memory clinic of a department of geriatric medicine in a teaching hospital.


METHODS
Fifty-six consecutive patients with probable AD. Sixty-five controls with Parkinson's disease (PD).


METHODS
Premorbid personality traits were assessed using the relative rating version of the Munich Personality Test (MPT).


RESULTS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Meins
W
W
Memory Clinic, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Albertinen Hospital, Hamburg, Germany. memory-clinic@albertinen.de
Dammast
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors