title: Personality change in old age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present short review summarizes some of the most important personality changes in older adults.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Personality changes in old age are usually minimal. Cluster B personality disorders appear to become less prevalent. Significant changes in personality are typically associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (e.g., slowly progressive sociopathy), Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment due to incipient dementia or underlying medical illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therefore, we suggest that a significant change in personality in old age always warrants careful neuropsychiatric examination.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and WA Centre for Health and Ageing, University of Western Australia, Australia. nicola.lautenschlager@uwa.edu.au
authors.forename: Nicola T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Lautenschlager
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Förstl
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010553:Personality Development; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D012803:Sick Role; D013577:Syndrome