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Personality pathology predicts increased informant-reported, but not performance-based, cognitive decline: Findings
Patrick J Cruitt1, Patrick L Hill1, Thomas F Oltmanns1
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.
Personality Disorders
|January 28, 2021
Summary
Personality disorders, particularly borderline personality disorder, are linked to increased self-reported cognitive problems in older adults. This study did not find associations with objective cognitive decline or mediation by social factors.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuropsychology
Background:
- Research on normal personality traits and cognitive aging shows modest effects.
- Understanding unhealthy cognitive aging requires examining personality disorders (PDs).
- Borderline, avoidant, and obsessive-compulsive PDs were investigated for their association with cognitive decline.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if specific personality disorders prospectively predict cognitive problems in older adults.
- To investigate the mediating roles of interpersonal stress and social support.
- To examine associations between PDs and both performance-based and informant-reported cognitive aging.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from two longitudinal studies: the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) cohort and the St. Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN) study.
- Assessed cognitive function using neuropsychological tests (ADRC) and informant reports (SPAN).
- Measured personality disorders using various methods including self-report, informant reports, and interviews (SPAN).
Main Results:
- Borderline personality disorder features showed cross-sectional correlations with memory and general cognitive ability.
- Borderline PD features prospectively predicted increases in informant-reported cognitive problems over two years in the SPAN study.
- No significant associations were found between PDs and performance-based cognitive measures, nor mediation by interpersonal variables.
Conclusions:
- Borderline personality disorder traits may be associated with subjective cognitive decline in older adulthood.
- The findings suggest a link between specific personality pathology and perceived cognitive aging, not necessarily objective decline.
- Avoidant and obsessive-compulsive PDs showed minimal association with cognitive aging indicators in this research.
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