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Association of 1-year change in neuroticism and 3-year change in cognitive performance among older depressed adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2022

David C. Steffens Open the ORCID record for David C. Steffens [Opens in a new window] ,
Kevin J. Manning ,
Rong Wu  and
James J. Grady
David C. Steffens*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
Kevin J. Manning
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
Rong Wu
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
James J. Grady
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: David C. Steffens, Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030-1400, USA. Phone: +1 860 679 4282; Fax: +1 860 679 1296. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objectives:

The relationships among depression, personality factors, and cognitive decline in the elderly are complex. Depressed elders score higher in neuroticism than nondepressed older individuals. Presence of neuroticism worsens cognitive decline in depressed older adults. Yet little is known about changes in neuroticism among older adults being treated for depression and the impact of these changes on cognitive decline.

Design:

Longitudinal observational study.

Setting:

Academic Health Center.

Participants:

We examined 68 participants in the neurobiology of late-life depression (LLD) study to test the hypothesis that older depressed subjects with more improvement in neuroticism would experience less cognitive decline compared with those with less change in neuroticism.

Measurements:

We measured neuroticism using the NEO-Personality Inventory-Revised at baseline and 1 year. Study psychiatrists measured depression using the Montgomery–Åsberg depression rating scale (MADRS). Global cognitive performance was measured using the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s disease (CERAD) battery at baseline and annually over 3 years. Regression models of 1-year change in neuroticism and 3-year change in CERAD included sex, age, race, education, and 1-year change in MADRS score as covariates.

Results:

We found that among older adults, 1-year change in neuroticism was inversely associated with 3-year change in CERAD total score.

Conclusions:

Our findings challenge the notion of longitudinal stability of measures of personality, especially among older depressed individuals. They highlight the importance of repeated personality assessment, especially of neuroticism, in the management of LLD. Future studies in larger samples followed for longer periods are needed to confirm our results and to extend them to examine both cognitive change and development of dementia.

Keywords

cognitive disordersdepressionpersonality disorder
Type
Original Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 34 , Special Issue 7: Issue Theme: Wisdom, Loneliness, and Other Behavioral Traits , July 2022 , pp. 645 - 650
Copyright
© International Psychogeriatric Association 2022

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