Personality traits and behavioural and psychological symptoms in patients with mild cognitive impairment.
OBJECTIVE
Both personality changes and behavioural and psychological symptoms (BPS) may be associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in later life and help identify incipient dementia. We wished to investigate the links between personality and BPS in MCI.


METHODS
We studied premorbid personality traits as estimated 5 years back and their changes in 83 control subjects and 52 MCI patients using the revised NEO Personality Inventory for the Five-Factor Model completed by a proxy. Information on BPS was obtained using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Analyses were controlled for current depression and anxiety.


RESULTS
Premorbid neuroticism and openness to experience were associated with the total NPI score. The changes in neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experiences, and conscientiousness were associated with apathy and affective symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Personality changes and BPS occur in MCI. The occurrence of affective BPS and apathy is associated with both premorbid personality traits and their changes.
Service of Old Age Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland. Montserrat.Mendez-Rubio@chuv.ch
Montserrat
M
Mendez Rubio
J P
JP
Antonietti
A
A
Donati
J
J
Rossier
A
A
von Gunten
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D057565:Apathy; D001519:Behavior; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005120:Extraversion, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality; D010556:Personality Tests; D012919:Social Behavior