Abstract

Objectives

The goal of this paper was to examine associations between personality traits and resilience to neuropathologic burden.

Method

Using data from the Religious Orders Study and the Rush Memory and Aging Project, we identified a total of 1,375 participants with personality, cognitive, and post-mortem neuropathology data. We regressed cognition onto pathology and extracted the residuals as an indicator of cognitive resilience. We then modeled the effect of Big Five personality traits on cognitive resilience, adjusting for demographics, APOE status, medical comorbidities, and cognitive activity. The analytic plan was preregistered prior to data access or analysis, and all scripts and outputs are available online.

Results

Higher neuroticism was associated with greater vulnerability to pathology. Results from exploratory analyses suggest that higher conscientiousness was associated with less cognitive decline relative to the amount of pathology, or greater resilience. Education and cognitive activity did not moderate these associations.

Discussion

Personality may have a pathoplastic effect on neuropathology, as low neuroticism and high conscientiousness are associated with better function despite neuropathologic burden.

中文翻译：

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老年人人格特质与认知弹性之间的关联。

摘要

目标

本文的目的是研究人格特质与神经病理负担恢复能力之间的关联。

方法

利用来自宗教团体研究和 Rush Memory and Aging Project 的数据，我们确定了总共 1,375 名参与者的性格、认知和死后神经病理学数据。我们将认知回归到病理学上，并提取残差作为认知弹性的指标。然后，我们模拟了大五人格特征对认知弹性的影响，并根据人口统计数据、APOE 状态、医疗合并症和认知活动进行了调整。分析计划在数据访问或分析之前预先注册，所有脚本和输出都可以在线获取。

结果

神经质程度越高，就越容易受到病理影响。探索性分析的结果表明，较高的责任心与相对于病理数量而言较少的认知下降或较高的复原力相关。教育和认知活动并没有调节这些关联。

讨论

人格可能对神经病理学产生病理性影响，因为尽管有神经病理学负担，但低神经质和高度责任心与更好的功能相关。