Yoneda Tomiko, Rush Jonathan, Berg Anne Ingeborg, Johansson Boo, Piccinin Andrea M
Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Anne Ingeborg Berg and Boo Johansson, Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2017 Oct 1;72(6):922-931. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbw006.
Several retrospective studies using informant report have shown that individuals with dementia demonstrate considerable personality change. Two prospective studies, also using informant report, have shown that individuals who develop dementia show some personality changes prior to diagnosis. The current study is the first to assess personality trait change prior to dementia diagnosis using self-report measures from longitudinal data.
This study used data from the Swedish OCTO-Twin Study, a longitudinal panel of 702 twins aged 80 and older. Analysis was restricted to 86 individuals who completed the Eysenck Personality Inventory and received a dementia diagnosis during follow-up occasions. Latent growth curve analyses were used to examine trajectories of extraversion and neuroticism preceding dementia diagnosis.
Controlling for sex, age, education, depressive symptoms, and the interaction between age and education, growth curve analyses revealed a linear increase in neuroticism and stability in extraversion. Individuals who were eventually diagnosed with dementia showed a significant increase in neuroticism preceding diagnosis of dementia.
Personality change, specifically an increase in neuroticism, may be an early indicator of dementia. Identification of early indicators of dementia may facilitate development of screening assessments and aid in early care strategies and planning.
多项使用 informant 报告的回顾性研究表明，患有痴呆症的个体表现出相当大的人格变化。两项同样使用 informant 报告的前瞻性研究表明，患痴呆症的个体在诊断前就表现出一些人格变化。当前的研究首次使用纵向数据中的自我报告测量方法来评估痴呆症诊断前的人格特质变化。
本研究使用了瑞典 OCTO 双胞胎研究的数据，该研究是一个由 702 名 80 岁及以上双胞胎组成的纵向样本。分析仅限于 86 名完成艾森克人格问卷并在随访期间被诊断为痴呆症的个体。使用潜在生长曲线分析来检查痴呆症诊断前外向性和神经质的轨迹。
在控制性别、年龄、教育程度、抑郁症状以及年龄与教育程度之间的相互作用后，生长曲线分析显示神经质呈线性增加，外向性保持稳定。最终被诊断为痴呆症的个体在痴呆症诊断前神经质显著增加。
人格变化，特别是神经质的增加，可能是痴呆症的早期指标。识别痴呆症的早期指标可能有助于开发筛查评估，并有助于早期护理策略和规划。
