title: Protective personality traits: High openness and low neuroticism linked to better memory in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Memory impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) is common, although few risk/protective factors are known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine relationships of personality to memory/non-memory cognition in MS.
  
  
  METHODS
  80 patients completed a cognitive battery and a personality scale measuring the "Big 5" traits: openness, neuroticism, agreeableness, extraversion, and conscientiousness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Memory was most related to openness, with higher openness linked to better memory and lower risk for memory impairment, controlling for age, atrophy, education, and intelligence quotient (IQ). Lower neuroticism was also related to better memory, and lower conscientiousness to memory impairment. Non-memory cognition was unrelated to personality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Personality may inform predictive models of memory impairment in MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Victoria M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Leavitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Korhan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Buyukturkoglu
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology, Radiology and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA/Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inglese
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sumowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000075384:Neuroticism / Q000502:physiology; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D065840:Protective Factors
keywords: Multiple sclerosis; cognition; memory; neuropsychological assessment; personality; psychological factors