@article {13139, title = {Sense of Purpose in Life and Beliefs and Knowledge of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease.}, journal = {Arch Clin Neuropsychol}, year = {2023}, month = {2023 Feb 04}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: A sense of purpose in life is associated with healthier cognitive outcomes, including lower risk of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease (ad). The present research examines whether purpose is also associated with beliefs and knowledge of ad.

METHOD: A random subsample (N = 1,187) of community-dwelling participants from the Health and Retirement Study completed a module on self-reported beliefs and knowledge of ad.

RESULTS: Purpose in life was associated with lower perceived threat of ad and greater belief that modifiable factors (e.g., physical activity) decrease risk. Associations were not moderated by experience with ad or depressive symptoms. Purpose was unrelated to beliefs that genetics or stress increase risk or knowledge of ad.

CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with a sense of purpose are less concerned about risk of developing ad and believe modifiable factors reduce risk. These beliefs may support engagement in behaviors that reduce risk and be one psychological pathway through which purpose protects against ad.

}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, beliefs, Knowledge}, issn = {1873-5843}, doi = {10.1093/arclin/acad014}, author = {Sutin, Angelina R and Stephan, Yannick and Luchetti, Martina and Aschwanden, Damaris and Sesker, Amanda A and Zhu, Xianghe and Terracciano, Antonio} } @article {11625, title = {Cognitive Impairment and the Trajectory of Loneliness in Older Adulthood: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, volume = {34}, year = {2022}, pages = {3-13}, abstract = {

To examine whether the trajectory of facets of loneliness-emotional and social-varied by cognitive impairment status in older adulthood. Data came from the Health and Retirement Study 2008-2018 waves ( = 15,352). Cognitive impairment was assessed using standard cutoffs for cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) and dementia. The 11-item UCLA loneliness scale was used to measure emotional and social loneliness. Using multilevel modeling, we found that CIND and dementia status were associated with higher overall, emotional, and social loneliness, controlling for physical health, social contact, and depressive symptoms. The trajectory of loneliness did not vary by cognitive status. There were modest variations by sociodemographic factors. Persons with CIND and dementia experience heightened emotional and social loneliness, but cognitive impairment does not contribute to the worsening of loneliness. Older adults{\textquoteright} social integration may be maintained early in cognitive impairment.

}, keywords = {cognitive impairment, cognitive impairment no dementia, Dementia, Loneliness}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/08982643211019500}, author = {Lee, Ji Hyun and Martina Luchetti and Damaris Aschwanden and Sesker, Amanda A and Jason E Strickhouser and Antonio Terracciano and Angelina R Sutin} } @article {11832, title = {Pathways from early life SES to dementia risk in old age: The role of personality.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B}, volume = {77}, year = {2022}, pages = {850-859}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the association between childhood socioeconomic status (cSES) and risk of cognitive impairment in older adulthood, and whether Five Factor Model personality traits mediated this association.

METHODS: A sample of 9,995 participants (mean age = 67.01 years) from the Health and Retirement Study were followed every two years from 2006 to 2018. cSES was tested as a predictor of risk of dementia and risk of cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND). Personality was tested as a mediator of these associations. Models were adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity, race, education, and baseline year.

RESULTS: Although effect sizes were modest, results indicated that lower cSES was associated with higher risk of dementia (HR=0.88, [0.775, 0.985]). Higher cSES was also associated with higher Conscientiousness and lower Neuroticism. Conscientiousness and Neuroticism each accounted for 7.9\% of the total effect of cSES on dementia. Results were similar for CIND.

CONCLUSIONS: Early childhood socioeconomic factors may contribute to cognitive impairment in older adulthood, an association mediated, in part, through adult personality traits.

}, keywords = {CIND, Conscientiousness, cSES, Dementia, Neuroticism}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbab159}, author = {Sesker, Amanda A and O{\textquoteright}S{\'u}illeabh{\'a}in, P{\'a}raic S and Lee, Ji Hyun and Damaris Aschwanden and Martina Luchetti and Yannick Stephan and Antonio Terracciano and Angelina R Sutin} } @article {12268, title = {Personality and change in perceived control during the acute stage of the coronavirus pandemic.}, journal = {Personality and Individual Differences}, volume = {192}, year = {2022}, pages = {111607}, abstract = {

Lower perceived control (PC) is related to maladaptive psychological responses to stressful events, yet it is unclear whether longer-term situations are associated with PC change over time. This study examined PC change during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and whether trajectories varied by age and personality. Personality was assessed in 2455 U.S. adults (18-100~years) from an online study conducted January-February 2020. PC was assessed across three follow-ups (March-July 2020). Latent growth curves modeled PC change. In controlled models, PC decreased (β~=~-0.107, ~=~.005). Older adults had higher PC than younger adults (β~=~0.012, ~=~.001), and experienced less PC decline (β~=~0.012, ~<~.001). All personality traits but Openness were related to PC at baseline (βs ranged from -0.912 to 0.543, ps~<~.001). Conscientiousness (β~=~0.155, ~=~.002), Extraversion (β~=~0.128, ~=~.008), and Agreeableness (β~=~0.099, ~=~.044) were associated with less PC decline. Employment (β~=~0.160, ~=~.022), health (β~=~0.133, ~=~.002), and disease burden (β~=~-0.056, ~=~.014) were also associated with PC change. These results were largely driven by the financial dimension of PC. This study provides evidence for PC change during the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies sociodemographic, personality, and health moderators of PC trajectory.

}, keywords = {COVID-19, perceived control, Personality Traits}, issn = {0191-8869}, doi = {10.1016/j.paid.2022.111607}, author = {Sesker, Amanda A and Lee, Ji Hyun and Luchetti, Martina and Damaris Aschwanden and Stephan, Yannick and Terracciano, Antonio and Sutin, Angelina R} } @article {12682, title = {Subjective Cognitive Decline: Is a Resilient Personality Protective Against Progression to Objective Cognitive Impairment? Findings from Two Community-Based Cohort Studies.}, journal = {Journal of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease}, volume = {89}, year = {2022}, pages = {87-105}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is related to personality functioning and risk of subsequent objective cognitive impairment.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine whether lower neuroticism and higher conscientiousness-resilient personality traits-protect against conversion from SCD to objective cognitive impairment in two longitudinal community-based cohorts.

METHODS: Data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 1,741, Mean age = 68.64 years, Follow-up mean = 7.34 years) and the National Health and Aging Trends Survey (N = 258, Mean age = 79.34 years, Follow-up mean = 4.31 years) were analyzed using Cox regression analysis, controlling for sociodemographic covariates, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and apolipoprotein ɛ4.

RESULTS: The pooled results showed that lower neuroticism and higher conscientiousness were associated with decreased risk of conversion from SCD to objective cognitive impairment.

CONCLUSION: Among individuals with SCD, those with a resilient personality may have more cognitive and psychological reserve to maintain cognitive functioning and delay conversion to objective cognitive impairment. The findings further contribute to a better understanding of personality along the cognitive continuum: The observed effect sizes were smaller than those reported in cognitively normal individuals but larger than in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Personality could provide useful information to identify individuals with SCD who may develop objective cognitive impairment-namely those who hold a vulnerable personality (higher neuroticism, lower conscientiousness).

}, keywords = {Apolipoprotein E4, Cognitive Dysfunction, Personality, Personality Disorders}, issn = {1875-8908}, doi = {10.3233/JAD-220319}, author = {Aschwanden, Damaris and Sutin, Angelina R and Ledermann, Thomas and Luchetti, Martina and Stephan, Yannick and Sesker, Amanda A and Zhu, Xianghe and Terracciano, Antonio} }