This narrative review examined how personality traits relate to Alzheimer's disease and cognitive health. It looked at data from various longitudinal studies to see if certain traits act as risk factors or protective factors.
The evidence indicates that high neuroticism and low conscientiousness are consistently associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Neuroticism is also linked to accelerated cognitive decline and a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Conversely, conscientiousness appears to offer protection by reducing risk and supporting greater cognitive resilience.
Other traits like extraversion, openness, and agreeableness showed variable or weak connections to Alzheimer's risk. The review notes that these traits likely act as premorbid risk factors rather than changes caused by the disease itself. While personality traits have potential utility for early risk identification and prevention strategies, this is a review of existing studies, not a new clinical trial.