Review Article

Personality changes in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review†

  1. Tarja-Brita Robins Wahlin1,2,*,
  2. Gerard J. Byrne1,3

Article first published online: 9 NOV 2010

DOI: 10.1002/gps.2655

Issue

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry

Volume 26, Issue 10, pages 1019–1029, October 2011

Additional Information

How to Cite

Robins Wahlin, T.-B. and Byrne, G. J. (2011), Personality changes in Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review. Int. J. Geriat. Psychiatry, 26: 1019–1029. doi: 10.1002/gps.2655

Author Information

  1. 1

    School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

  2. 2

    Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

  3. 3

    Older Persons' Mental Health Service, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

*School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

  1. †

    The submitting author certifies that the authors have no previous reports that might be regarded as redundant or duplicate publications of the same or very similar work.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 8 SEP 2011
  2. Article first published online: 9 NOV 2010
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 27 SEP 2010
  4. Manuscript Received: 13 APR 2010

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (145K)

Keywords:

  • Alzheimer's disease;
  • dementia;
  • personality;
  • neuroticism;
  • extraversion;
  • openness;
  • agreeableness;
  • conscientiousness;
  • NEO-PI;
  • NEO-PI-R

Abstract

Objective

People with Alzheimer's disease (AD) commonly exhibit changes in personality that sometimes precede the other early clinical manifestations of the condition, such as cognitive impairment and mood changes. Although these personality changes reflect the impact of progressive brain damage, there are several possible patterns of personality change with dementia. Early identification of personality change might assist with the timely diagnosis of AD. The objective of this study was to review studies of personality change in AD.

Methods

Systematic searches of the PubMed, Ovid Medline, EBSCOhost, PsychINFO and CINAHL databases were undertaken from inception to November 2009. Published studies of informant-rated personality traits in AD patients were identified. Studies that mapped changes in traits from the five-factor model of personality which includes factors for Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, were selected for analysis. The change in each of these five traits was calculated as the mean difference in score before and after the diagnosis of AD.

Results

There was a mean increase in Neuroticism of 10–20 T scores (equivalent to 1–2 SD), a decrease of the same magnitude in Extraversion, consistently reduced Openness and Agreeableness, and a marked decrease in Conscientiousness of about 20–30 T scores (equivalent to 2–3 SD). These changes were systematic and consistent. Particularly striking was the similarity of both the magnitude and direction of change in all studies reviewed.

Conclusions

Conscientiousness and Neuroticism are the personality traits that exhibit the most change in dementia. These traits might be useful early markers of dementia. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (145K)