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How personality changes in Alzheimers disease is not well understood. Accentuations of premorbid personality.systemic shifts in personality traits,and specific personality changes affecting subtypes of patients have been postulated.To investigate which of these alternatives occurs in Alzeimer's disease,caregivers were given a comprehensive personality inventory standardized for use by informants.Caregivers observed more neurotic,less extroverted and less conscientious behavior.To a smaller extent,patient's with Alzeimer's disease were reported as becoming less agreeable and less open.The changes in reports of neuroticism, extroversion,agreeableness,and openness suggested consistent systemic shifts across all patients.Patients with depressive features were reported to have been more neurotic;those with paranoid delusions were reported as being hostile.Premorbid personality traits may be predisposed to subsequent psychiatric symptoms in Alzeimer's disease. |
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