Department of Psychology, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome 00185, Italy; Department of Experimental Psychology, and Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Department of Experimental Psychology, and Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Ageing Res Rev. 2024 Sep;100:102455. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102455. Epub 2024 Aug 15.
Cognitive decline is a natural consequence of aging, but several genetic, environmental, and psychological factors can influence its trajectories. Among the most enduring factors, the Big Five personality traits - defined as relatively stable tendencies to think, behave, and react to the environment - can influence both directly (e.g., by physiological correlates) and indirectly (e.g., healthy or risky behaviors) the risk of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) - a preclinical form of cognitive decline. Despite the great amount of studies focusing on the relationship between personality and cognitive decline, an updated systematic synthesis of the results including a broader range of study designs is still lacking. This systematic review aims to summarize the findings of studies investigating: (i) differences in personality traits between groups of healthy individuals and those with MCI, (ii) the impact of personality traits on the risk for both MCI and dementia, and (iii) changes in personality traits among individuals progressing from normal cognition to MCI. Neuroticism emerged as a significant risk factor for MCI and dementia; Conscientiousness and Openness appear to offer protection against dementia and moderate cognitive decline. Overall, these findings suggest a pivotal role of personality structure in shaping cognitive outcomes on the long run.
认知能力下降是衰老的自然结果，但几个遗传、环境和心理因素会影响其轨迹。在最持久的因素中，五大人格特质——被定义为相对稳定的思考、行为和对环境反应的倾向——可以直接（例如，通过生理相关性）和间接（例如，健康或危险行为）影响痴呆和轻度认知障碍（MCI）的发病风险——认知能力下降的一种临床前形式。尽管有大量研究关注人格与认知能力下降之间的关系，但仍缺乏包括更广泛研究设计的结果的最新系统综合。本系统综述旨在总结以下研究结果：（i）健康人群和 MCI 人群之间人格特质的差异，（ii）人格特质对 MCI 和痴呆风险的影响，以及（iii）从正常认知到 MCI 进展的个体中人格特质的变化。神经质被认为是 MCI 和痴呆的一个重要危险因素；尽责性和开放性似乎可以预防痴呆和中度认知能力下降。总体而言，这些发现表明人格结构在长期内对认知结果具有关键作用。
