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Neuroticism, conscientiousness, and in vivo Alzheimer pathologies measured by amyloid PET and MRI
Byun MS, Jung JH, Sohn BK, Yi D, Lee JH, Jeon SY, Lee Y, Jung GJ et al.. Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 2020-02-23
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Aim It has been suggested that personality traits, particularly neuroticism and conscientiousness, are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related cognitive decline. However, the underlying pathological links between personality traits and AD-related cognitive impairments remain unclear. Thus, the present study investigated associations of neuroticism and conscientiousness with in vivo cerebral amyloid-beta (Aβ) burden, AD-signature regional neurodegeneration, and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in non-demented middle- and old-aged adults. Methods A total of 397 non-demented participants underwent comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological assessments, 11 C-labeled Pittsburgh Compound B positron emission tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Additionally, the NEO Five-Factor Inventory was administered to both the participants and their informants to measure neuroticism and conscientiousness. Results Neither neuroticism nor conscientiousness was associated with cerebral Aβ deposition or WMH. In contrast, higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness, reported by informants in particular, were significantly associated with reduced AD-signature region cortical thickness. In regards to the direct and indirect effect of each personality on AD-signature region cortical thickness, only the direct effects were found, whereas indirect effects via Aβ deposition or WMH were not. Conclusion The present findings suggest that amyloid-independent regional neurodegeneration might underlie relations of neuroticism and conscientiousness with AD.
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APA 7th
Byun, M. S., Jung, J. H., Sohn, B. K., Yi, D., Lee, J. H., Jeon, S. Y., et al. (2020). Neuroticism, conscientiousness, and in vivo Alzheimer pathologies measured by amyloid PET and MRI. Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences. https://doi.org/10.1111/pcn.12983
Vancouver
Byun MS, Jung JH, Sohn BK, Yi D, Lee JH, Jeon SY, et al. Neuroticism, conscientiousness, and in vivo Alzheimer pathologies measured by amyloid PET and MRI. Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences. 2020. doi:10.1111/pcn.12983. PMID: 31985106.
BibTeX
@article{byun2020-31985106,
author = {Byun, M. S. and Jung, J. H. and Sohn, B. K. and Yi, D. and Lee, J. H. and Jeon, S. Y. and Lee, Y. and Jung, G. J. and others},
title = {{Neuroticism, conscientiousness, and in vivo Alzheimer pathologies measured by amyloid PET and MRI}},
journal = {Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1111/pcn.12983},
pmid = {31985106},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/pcn.12983}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Aim It has been suggested that personality traits, particularly neuroticism and conscientiousness, are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related cognitive decline.
- Results Neither neuroticism nor conscientiousness was associated with cerebral Aβ deposition or WMH.
- In contrast, higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness, reported by informants in particular, were significantly associated with reduced AD-signature region cortical thickness.
- Conclusion The present findings suggest that amyloid-independent regional neurodegeneration might underlie relations of neuroticism and conscientiousness with AD.
Why it matters
Among 397 non-demented adults, neuroticism and conscientiousness were not associated with amyloid deposition or white matter hyperintensities, but higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness were linked to reduced cortical thickness in Alzheimer-signature regions. This is about personality and brain structure, not about treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants397
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences: journal h-index 120 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 397 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 20 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.5 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 9 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Dong Young Lee: h-index 49 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Seoul National University: institution h-index 1,053 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 8 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31985106) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
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