Personality and neuropsychiatric signs in neurodegenerative diseaes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Schizotypal personality traits as a risk factor for neuropsychiatric symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases
IRAS ID
158466
Contact name
Annalena Venneri
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 2 days
Research summary
Neuropsychiatric features are one of the most common symptoms that are associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer disease (AD) patients can be up to 94.6% (Fernandez-Martinez et al., 2008). It is well known that neuropsychiatric symptoms have a major negative impact in daily living activities, cognitive abilities and quality of life which may lead to early nursing home admission (Gonzalez-Salvador et al., 2000; Mok, Chu, Chung, Chan, & Hui, 2004; Weintraub, 2005). The role of personality traits in the appearance of neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognitive decline in this neurodegenerative disease needs to be clarified to have a better understanding of those personality features that facilitate the emergence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in this disease. This investigation will help clinicians to improve early and differential diagnosis from late onset psychiatric conditions and encourage the use of personality features as prognostic indicators of future decline.
This study will focus on exploring what schizotypal personality traits are associated with the appearance of neuropsychiatric symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases as well as looking at which behavioural and cognitive features may correlate with schizotypal personality. Patients will be recruited from the Royal Hallamshire Hospital neurology and neuropsychology outpatient Clinics and from local nursing homes through the ENRICH network.
Most of the assessments will be administered to patients individually. However, the neuropsychiatric inventory will apply to patients and their caregivers. All sessions will be led by a neuropsychologist, member of the research team, under the supervision of the PI. The duration for the assessments is approximately two hours which will be split into two sessions.
The data will be used to examine different aspects that may associate with schizotypal personality traits as a predictor of neuropsychiatric manifestation following a neurodegenerative disease.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/YH/0185
Date of REC Opinion
23 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion