Healthline: Your Personality May Affect Your Brain Health as You Age: Here’s How
"According to new research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, people with certain personality traits may be more likely to experience cognitive decline as they grow older.
In particular, those who scored higher on a trait called neuroticism were more likely to have reduced cognitive function as they grew older. However, those who scored higher on traits like conscientiousness and extraversion seemed to fare better.
When the data was examined, it was found that those who either scored high on conscientiousness or low in neuroticism were less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment as the study progressed.
Extraversion was not significantly linked to the development of mild cognitive impairment, however, it was found that people who scored high on this trait tended to maintain cognitive function the longest.
Also, the data suggested that individuals lower in neuroticism and higher in extraversion were more likely to recover regular cognitive function after receiving a previous diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. This suggests, according to the authors, that this personality trait may be protective even after a person begins to develop dementia."
My Takeaways From This Article
According to a recent study done in the University of Edinburgh, certain personality traits are shown to be associated/correlated with cognitive decline/preservation in the later stages of life.
High counts of neuroticism or a more or less “emotional” personality trait were shown to be correlated with higher cognitive decline rates and a higher incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. High counts of extroversion are shown to be correlated with high cognitive preservation.
Researchers hypothesized that these two traits were due to the types of thoughts and experiences people with these personalities go through. For example, a person with high neuroticism will tend to experience more distress, anxiety and negative emotions that may be detrimental to health. A person with high extroversion typically is more sociable and maintains social relations which are shown to be generally healthy.
What does this mean? It’s pretty hard to change your personality, but perhaps understanding the pros and cons of the personality trait can help you focus on how to be the best version of yourself :)
Full article is here!
What are the takeaways of this article? What are some pros and cons of your personality that you realize?
#PersonalityTraits #Aging #CognitiveFunctioning
Just thought I’d let you know that your link is broken! There’s one from title press that should work. I googled the topic.
@TheJenInBlack
Thank you for letting us know! Here is the link: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/your-personality-may-affect-your-brain-health-as-you-age-heres-how
@globalBraid3744
Thanks for the save! appreciate it lots :))))
@TheJenInBlack
Thank you for letting me know! Sorry about that, I'll try to get it fixed!
@sunnyWriting4806 Haha I love this! I am so neurotic, it's not even funny. Lol so that worries me a little. But I am extremely extroverted, so maybe they'll cancel each other out in terms of long term cognitive function decline 😂 It's amazing that we all have different personalities, but I wonder if there is any research on how to keep your cognitive function running in the long term!
@fruityPond7887 haha i feel that
although i think since it is a correlation and not causation i believe it is likely due to extroverts openly sharing issues and socialising more regularly which play part in staggering dementia. Both early detection and positive social interactions/support make a lot of difference in dealing withcognitive decline associated with dementia.
@zealousGrace5023 That is very true and I didn't think of that! I think people who are just more open and share things with others tend to have a better support system and that allows them to feel better.
@fruityPond7887 yeah exactly!
@zealousGrace5023
That's definitely a nice catch! These are all due to the lifestyles and mindsets people with certain personalities tend to have more so than others. It's not because of the personality itself haha!
@sunnyWriting4806 haha yeah thank you
they're just correlations and not causations
@fruityPond7887
Those are very valid points I think it's completely okay to be whatever personality you have! It's just being aware of the potential issues and advantages each personality brings that can give you the best and fulfilled life!
@sunnyWriting4806 You're exactly right! Being conscious about what negatives your personality may bring or clash with others is good because you are able to stop any conflict and be careful how you act/speak around others!
