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Personality Change Precedes Clinical Diagnosis of Dementia of the Alzheimer Type

Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis.

Address correspondence to Steve Balsis, MA, or Brian Carpenter, PhD, Department of Psychology, Campus Box 1125, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130. E-mail: smbalsis{at}wustl.edu or bcarpenter{at}wustl.edu

We examined personality changes reported by a collateral source on the Blessed Dementia Scale in people who were nondemented when they entered a longitudinal study. Of the 108 participants examined here, 68 received a clinical diagnosis of dementia at some point after entry into the study. The other 40 participants died and came to autopsy with a clinical diagnosis of no dementia; however, 14 received a neuropathological diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The results indicate that initial personality changes often occur early, even earlier than clinical diagnosis. Individuals without a clinical diagnosis who showed presence of the disease at autopsy experienced personality changes comparable with those of individuals who had received a clinical diagnosis. Personality changes may aid in the early detection of dementia of the Alzheimer type, which could facilitate early treatment.

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