Depressive vulnerability in women with Alzheimer's disease: Relationship with personality traits and abnormal personality dimensions

Personality traits and disorders in Alzheimer's disease

BACKGROUND

The relationships between axis II personality disorders and the normative personality traits were explored in the context of current and pre-morbid personality assessment in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

METHODS

The study was conducted with four groups who were administered the NEO-FFI and the PDQ-4+, in the form of individual interview sessions. Current personality measure: consisting of 44 female participants (AD group) and, the control group, consisting of 80 female participants from the population at large. Pre-morbid personality measure: AD group informants (n = 40); control group informants (n = 42).

RESULTS

The results are in line with the literature review and provide new research data. By factorial discriminant analysis, the current and pre-morbid personality variables that differentiate AD from control groups are identified. The personality traits variables are the best discriminators such as low agreeableness, low openness to experience, and high neuroticism, suggesting that the maladaptive personality functioning can be described extending the range of psychopathology to a dimensional approach.

CONCLUSIONS

The study of personality variables seems to suggest, in their inclusion, the possibility to increase sensitivity toward an assessment in AD.

The predictive power of personality through psychopathology in Alzheimer's disease: a control study of self-report and baseline retrospective assessment

Although there is a growing body of literature on the Alzheimer's disease (AD) personality changes, its relationships with personality disorders are still largely understudied. The relationships between the Five-Factor Model and the Axis II personality disorders were explored in the context of current and baseline personality in AD. The study was conducted with four groups who were administered the NEO-FFI and the PDQ-4+, mainly in interview sessions. Self-report measurement: AD Group, 40 female participants (M = 81.48 years); Control Group, 47 female participants from the population at large (M = 76.81 years). Baseline retrospective measurement: AD Group Informants (n = 40); Control Group Informants (n = 47). Three logistic regressions were computed. The baseline Neuroticism moderates the Neuroticism in the current clinical state. High Neuroticism, low Openness, high Cluster B, and baseline high Neuroticism, predicted the presence of AD diagnosis, accounting for 85% of the variance. In order to increase sensitivity towards an earlier diagnosis in AD, future empirically-based research should take into account an assessment set of structural personality variables.

Personality disorders characterized by anxiety predict Alzheimer's disease in women: A case-control studies

This research is geared toward the evaluation of current and pre-morbid personality psychopathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study was conducted with four groups who were administered the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+, mainly in the form of individual interviews. Current measurement: AD Group, 44 female participants (M = 81.36 years); Control Group, 80 female participants from the population at large (M = 75.84 years). Pre-morbid measurement: AD Group Informants (n = 40); Control Group Informants (n = 42). The incidence of all clusters in clinical state are significant, and Cluster B incidence in pre-morbidity is evidenced. Cluster C is highlighted throughout the life course as a predictor. Logistic regression analyses showed that schizotypical, narcissistic, avoidant, obsessive-compulsive, pre-morbid schizotypical, pre-morbid histrionic, and pre-morbid obsessive-compulsive personality disorders, predicted the presence of AD diagnosis, accounting for 49% of the variance. These findings are relevant to research relating personality and psychopathology in Alzheimer's disease.