People who are anxious and prone to frequent mood swings are more at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
- Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia characterized by cognitive impairment and memory loss.
- Several factors contribute to its development, including personality.
- An American study revealed that neurotic and low conscientious personalities predict the pathologies associated with dementia.
Many questions still remain about Alzheimer’s disease and its causes. The risk of developing the pathology is linked to several factors. Researchers from the University of Florida School of Medicine have found that personality is one of the risk factors. They published their findings in Biological Psychiatry.
Certain personality traits are involved
To examine the impact of personality on the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, several studies were analyzed by the researchers. In total, the composition of the sample represented more than 3,000 participants. Scientists have looked at two personality traits: neuroticism and conscientiousness.
The first refers to a predisposition to negative emotions, anxiety and mood swings, and the second to the ability to be responsible, organized and careful. The US researchers found higher levels of amyloid and tau proteins, which are responsible for the characteristic plaques of Alzheimer’s disease, in patients who had low conscientiousness scores and high neuroticism scores when tested. These associations between neuroticism and Alzheimer’s-related proteins were particularly pronounced in people without cognitive impairment.
Prevent neurodegenerative diseases
“This study shows that even before clinical dementia, personality predicts the accumulation of pathologies associated with dementia”, explained Antonio Terracciano, professor of geriatrics at the University of Florida School of Medicine. According to him, personality can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease as well as other neurological diseases. “Such protection against neuropathology may come from a difference in people’s emotions and behaviorshe specified. Previous research has shown that low neuroticism helps manage stress and reduces the risk of common mental health disorders. Similarly, a high level of consciousness is consistently linked to healthy lifestyles, such as physical activity.” Over time, personality traits said to be more “adaptive“may help support metabolic and immunological functions, and therefore prevent or slow the process of neurodegeneration.
