Affiliations: [a] Aging Psychiatry Unit, University Hospital Le Vinatier, Bron, France
| [b] Brain Dynamics and Cognition, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM, CNRS UMR, Lyon, France
| [c] Memory Clinical and Research Center of Lyon (CMRR), Aging Institute I-Vie, University Hospital of Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| [d] Memory Clinical and Research Center of Saint Etienne (CMRR), Neurology unit, university hospital of Saint Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| [e] Service of Old Age Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: Jean-Michel Dorey, Aging Psychiatry Unit & Memory Clinic, University Hospital Le Vinatier, 95 bd Pinel, 69678, Bron, France. Tel.: +334 37 91 52 49; Fax: +334 37 91 52 44; E-mail: jean-michel.dorey@ch-le-vinatier.fr.
Abstract: Background:Neuroticism is recognized as the personality domain that is most strongly associated with behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPS) of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Two sub-components of neuroticism have been recently isolated. Neuroticism-withdrawal (N-withdrawal) refers to the tendency to internalize negative emotion, whereas neuroticism-volatility (N-volatility) reflect the predisposition to externalize negative emotions. Objective:The objective of the current study was to investigate the specific influence of these two sub-components of neuroticism on BPS. Methods:One hundred eighty-seven patients with prodromal or mild AD were drawn from the PACO study (Personalité Alzheimer COmportement). Neuroticism and its facets were assessed at baseline using the NEO-PI-R inventory. N-withdrawal and N-volatility were isolated using a principal component analysis led on the six facets composing neuroticism. BPS were measured with the short version of Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q) and collected at baseline, then every 6 months over an 18-month follow-up. Linear mixed-effect analyses were conducted to investigate the association between N-withdrawal, N-volatility, and the severity of BPS over the follow-up. Results:Mean age of the participant was 79.2±6.5; 59% were female; mean MMSE was 24.5±2.5. Both N-volatility and N-withdrawal were related with the NPI-Q (p < 0.001; p = 0,004). N-withdrawal was positively associated with anxiety (p = 0.001) and depression (p = 0.002), while N-volatility was positively related to delusions (p = 0.004), agitation/aggression (p < 0.001), irritability/volatility (p = 0.037), and apathy (p = 0.021). Conclusion:The present study demonstrates that N-volatility and N-withdrawal influence the risk of developing BPS in a different way. These results highlight the relevance of considering sub-components of neuroticism when studying links between personality and BPS.
