Wang Jimin
Wang Jimin
[Compiled and published by New Sancai] Do you have a naturally sunny personality? New research suggests it may protect you against dementia over time.
Certain personality traits - conscientiousness, extroversion and positivity - appear to reduce a person's chances of being diagnosed with dementia, a team from Northwestern University in Chicago reports. On the other hand, the same study found that neuroticism, more negative attitudes and behaviors were associated with a higher risk of mental decline.
The good news: Everyday behavior may be the key factor here, and behavior can be changed.
A research team led by Eileen Graham, associate professor of social sciences in medicine at Northwestern University, explained that people's personalities can influence whether daily habits are healthy for the brain.
"Neuroticism is linked to decline in dementia, with neurotic people more likely to be anxious, moody and worried, while conscientious people are more likely to exercise, make preventive health appointments and drink less alcohol," Graham said.
"So, maybe that's where interventions might help improve someone's health behaviors to get better health outcomes," Graham reasoned.
The new analysis focuses on what psychologists have long called the "Big Five" personality traits: conscientiousness, extroversion, openness, neuroticism and agreeableness. Graham's team looked at data from eight studies. In total, the studies included more than 44,000 people, 1,703 of whom later developed dementia.
High scores on negative traits such as neuroticism and negative emotional states, combined with low scores on conscientiousness, extraversion, and positive affectivity, appear to increase the odds of developing dementia.
Instead, the team found that people who scored higher on openness to experience, agreeableness, and life satisfaction had a lower risk of brain decline. These trends persisted even when the researchers excluded other influencing factors such as age, gender and education.
There's also no evidence that physical damage to the brain played a role in the findings, Graham and colleagues noted. Conversely, positive personality traits may make people resistant to diseases like Alzheimer's and other dementias throughout their lives—even if they don't realize it.
So the researchers speculate that even as the brain is changing, an optimistic personality might counteract the effects, allowing people to cope better. The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging and published Nov. 29 in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.
(Compiled by: Wang Jimin)
(Editor: Jiang Qiming)
(Source of the article: First published by Xinsancai)
