Subclinical dementia. Relation to cognition, personality and psychopathology: A nine‐year prospective study

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Abstract
In 1971/72 a representative sample of 70‐year‐olds was studied by means of psychological tests and personality inventories. Subjects showing evidence of dementia were excluded. Those who developed severe dementia between the ages of 70 and 79 were compared with those who did not. At 70, males subsequently developing dementia scored lower on a test of reasoning and on a test of perceptual speed, and needed more time to complete their tests than did the other males. At the same age, females subsequently developing dementia were slow on some of the tests, scored lower on a personality dimension pertaining to available resources of mental energy and scored higher on a personality dimension pertaining to a need to keep other people at a distance than did the other females. A logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the time taken to complete some of the cognitive tests and the personality dimension pertaining to mental energy independently predicted the development of severe dementia. There were no differences with regard to psychiatric diagnoses. The question whether these findings might be interpreted as early manifestations of dementia or as predisposing factors is as yet unanswered.