Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25583598›Full record

SynthesisThe journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences2016

Personality and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: Data From a Longitudinal Sample and Meta-Analysis.

Martina Luchetti, Antonio Terracciano, Yannick Stephan, Angelina R Sutin

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 126 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
126citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
18.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

126 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 236 citations in OpenAlex.

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  5. The Association Between Five Factor Model Personality Traits and Verbal and Numeric Reasoning.Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging, neuropsychology and cognition · 2022
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  10. Personality trait and state associations with cognitive functioning and variability in middle-aged and older adults.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2026
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66 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Martina LuchettiDepartment of Psychology, University of Bologna, Italy. martina.luchetti3@unibo.it.
Antonio TerraccianoDepartment of Geriatrics, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee.
Yannick StephanEA 4556 EPSYLON, Laboratory Dynamic of Human Abilities and Health Behaviors, Department of Sport Sciences, Psychology and Medicine, University of Montpellier and St Etienne, France.
Angelina R SutinDepartment of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee.
Florida State University · USUniversity of Bologna · IT

Funding

HRS Yrs29-34: Y33 SSA CoFundingU01AG009740 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Jessica Faul, KENNETH M LANGA · 1990 to 2026
$555.8M
Personality Change as an Early Marker of Alzheimer's DiseaseR03AG051960 · NIA · FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY · PI TERRACCIANO, ANTONIO · 2016 to 2017
$152k
NIA NIH HHS R03 AG051960NIA NIH HHS U01 AG009740
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesPersonality traits are associated with risk of dementia; less is known about their association with the trajectory of cognitive functioning. This research examines the association between the 5 major dimensions of personality and cognitive function and decline in older adulthood and includes a meta-analysis of published studies.

methodPersonality traits, objective and subjective memory, and cognitive status were collected in a large national sample (N = 13,987) with a 4-year follow-up period. For each trait, the meta-analysis pooled results from up to 5 prospective studies to examine personality and change in global cognition.

resultsHigher Neuroticism was associated with worse performance on all cognitive measures and greater decline in memory, whereas higher Conscientiousness and Openness were associated with better memory performance concurrently and less decline over time. All traits were associated with subjective memory. Higher Conscientiousness and lower Extraversion were associated with better cognitive status and less decline. Although modest, these associations were generally larger than that of hypertension, diabetes, history of psychological treatment, obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity. The meta-analysis supported the association between Neuroticism and Conscientiousness and cognitive decline. DISCUSSION: Personality is associated with cognitive decline in older adults, with effects comparable to established clinical and lifestyle risk factors.

Indexed as

ConscienceMotor ActivityPersonalityAgedAged, 80 and overAgingCognitive DysfunctionFemaleGeriatric AssessmentHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMobility LimitationObesityPersonality DisordersSmokingCognitive declineConscientiousnessMeta-analysisNeuroticismOlder adultsPersonality

Identifiers

PMID25583598
PMCPMC4903032
OpenAlexW2024331550

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.