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Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Most Conscientious People Are Least Likely to Get
Alzheimer's Disease
Also experience slower rate of cognitive decline,
lower risk of mild cognitive impairment
 Oct. 1, 2007 - Individuals who are more
conscientious - in other words, those with a tendency to be
self-disciplined, scrupulous and purposeful - appear less likely to
develop Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the October issue
of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Conscientiousness refers to a person's tendency to
control impulses and be goal-directed, and is also known as will, work
and dependability, according to background information in the article.
It has been associated with a wide range of mental and physical
disorders, disability and death, suggesting it may be important for
maintaining overall health.
Robert S. Wilson, Ph.D., of Rush University Medical
Center, Chicago, and colleagues studied 997 older Catholic nuns, priests
and brothers who did not have dementia when the study began in 1994.
Participants underwent evaluations that included
medical history, neurologic examinations and cognitive testing.
Conscientiousness was measured with a 12-item inventory, where
participants rated agreement with each item (for example, "I am a
productive person who always gets the job done") on a scale of one to
five.
Scores ranged from zero to 48, with higher scores
indicating more conscientiousness. The researchers conducted follow-up
examinations annually through 2006, with an average of 7.9 evaluations
per person.
The participants had an average conscientiousness
score of 34 out of 48. Through a maximum of 12 years of follow-up, 176
individuals developed Alzheimer's disease.
Those who had conscientiousness scores in the 90th
percentile (40 points) or higher had an 89 percent lower risk of
developing Alzheimer's disease than those whose scores ranked in the
10th percentile (28 points) or lower.
Controlling for known Alzheimer's disease risk
factors did not substantially change these results. Conscientiousness
also was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline and a lower
risk of mild cognitive impairment, a condition that may precede
Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers also analyzed results from brain
autopsies of 324 participants who died during the study. In these
patients, conscientiousness was not linked to any of the hallmark signs
of Alzheimer's disease, including brain plaques and tangles. However,
conscientiousness did appear to modify the association of these brain
changes with an individual's cognitive abilities before death.
There are several ways by which conscientiousness
might protect against Alzheimer's disease, the authors write.
First, conscientious individuals may be more likely
to experience educational or occupational success, both of which have
been associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease.
In addition, conscientiousness has been linked to
resilience and to coping actively with difficulties.
"These factors might lessen the adverse
consequences of negative life events and chronic psychological distress,
which have been associated with risk of dementia in old age," the
authors note.
"In conclusion, level of conscientiousness is
associated with incidence of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's
disease but not with the pathologic hallmarks of these conditions," they
continue.
"Understanding the mechanisms linking
conscientiousness to maintenance of cognition in old age may suggest
novel strategies for delaying the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease."
Editor's Note: This research was supported by
grants from the National Institute on Aging.
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