Older Adults and Cognitive or “Thinking” Functions, 4

Study results showed that older people who have higher levels of neuroticism—defined as a greater tendency towards anxiety, worry, moodiness, and impulsivity—are more likely to have worse cognitive function than those with different personality traits. Older adults who show more cognitive resilience—defined as an ability to live more effectively with the neuropathology in the brain that causes dementia—tend to be those who experience less anxiety  and worry and who are less moody. Some positive personality traits were associated with cognitive resilience. What were those personality traits? Individuals with a greater tendency toward self-discipline, organization, diligence, high achievement, and motivation—a trait that is referred to as higher conscientiousness—were found to be associated with a with greater resilience as the brain aged. (Some of you may recall the “Nun Study” and the book “Aging with Grace”  that reported related data.)