Researchers find personality traits most associated with dementia diagnoses

03 March 2024 , 07:00

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A new study suggested there might be links between personality traits and dementia (Stock photo) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Around the world, 55 million people are living with dementia - and it is estimated this number will rise to 139 million by 2050.

The syndrome is associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning and the most common type is Alzheimer's disease. According to a recent study that examined 44,531 people aged 49 to 81, some personality traits could be linked to dementia.

Researchers compared dementia diagnoses with the "big five" personality traits - agreeableness, openness, extroversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. They also compared diagnoses in people who had a positive affect - a personality leaning towards positive traits such as joy and enthusiasm - and those with negative affect - someone who tends to have more emotions like anger and fear.

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The data was made up of eight smaller studies (Getty Images/Image Source)

All participants took part in personality assessments and underwent brain examinations after they died - and researchers found that people with high levels of neuroticism and those with negative affect "had a higher risk of developing dementia over the long term." Among participants, 1,703 people developed dementia.

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Neuroticism is defined as a personality trait associated with emotional instability, irritability, anxiety, self-doubt, depression, and other negative feelings, explains the Irish Star. By the same token, those who had a more positive outlook on life and showed signs of enthusiasm towards everyday tasks were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

Emorie Beck, assistant professor of psychology at UC Davis and first author on the paper, said: "We wanted to leverage new technology to synthesise these studies and test the strength and consistency of these associations. If those links hold up, then targeting personality traits for change in interventions earlier in life could be a way to reduce dementia risk in the long term."

While there were undeniably some interesting findings in the report - which was published in Alzheimer's and Dementia - it is also important to note that "no clear link" was found between personality and evidence of underlying disease, said Dr. Joel Salinas, a clinical assistant professor of neurology at NYU Langone Health and the chief medical officer of Isaac Health. This means that while there are some suggestions that personality traits and dementia could be linked, researchers still do not know if personality type is a direct cause of dementia.

Salinas, who was not affiliated with the study, said: "It doesn't [mean] that these links don't exist, it just means that either the study was unable to find it - because the amount of information available was limited for this part of the study - or that some other factor explains the reason why more people had risk of dementia."

Last month, research indicated that a healthy lifestyle can help combat dementia by building up a "cognitive reserve" in the brain. The study, published in JAMA Neurology journal, investigated the lifestyles of 586 people who lived till an average age of 91.

All participants were scored based on their lifestyle choices and end-of-life cognitive abilities. After they passed away, brain autopsies were performed to look for signs of dementia. The results showed a strong link between a healthier lifestyle and better overall cognitive function near death.

Researchers found that common signs of dementia like build-up of brain protein plaques or changes in brain blood flow didn't greatly affect this positive relationship. Of those in the study, 415 were women and 171 were men.

Dr. Klodian Dhana, from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, led the study. His findings suggest that regular physical activity and a nutritious diet may "provide a cognitive reserve" that wards off negative changes to the brain. "This study found that in older adults, a healthy lifestyle may provide a cognitive reserve to maintain cognitive abilities independently of common neuropathologies of dementia," the report reads.

Chiara Fiorillo