Does personality affect the cognitive decline in aging? A systematic review
Metadatos
Mostrar el registro completo del ítemEditorial
Elsevier
Materia
Personality Big five personality traits Cognitive decline
Fecha
2024-08-15Referencia bibliográfica
G. Troisi et al. 100 (2024) 102455. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2024.102455]
Patrocinador
“Progetti di Ricerca Grandi of Sapienza the University of Rome” with the protocol number RG1221816C3B6C27Resumen
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.