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Frontotemporal dementia often results in early changes in personality or behavior before changes in cognitive skills. People with this condition who have lower levels of conscientiousness, a personality trait related to organization, reliability and planning, may be more likely to have problems with their ability to complete everyday activities, according to a study published in Neurology.

The study does not prove that personality changes cause problems with functioning. It only shows an association.

"Changes in personality can be among the most challenging symptoms of frontotemporal dementia for individuals and their families," said study author Katherine P. Rankin, of the University of California, San Francisco.

"Our study found that a person's level of conscientiousness was closely associated with how well they managed complex everyday activities. These findings may help predict who may have problems with functioning, which could allow doctors and caregivers to implement strategies to support people's daily functioning."

The study involved 111 people with the type of frontotemporal dementia that mainly affects behavior and personality, which is the most common type of frontotemporal dementia. Other types mainly affect language or movement.

The participants were in the early stages of the progressive disease and had an average age of 63.

Family members or caregivers completed questionnaires about the participants' current personality traits and those from about 10 years before they developed the disease. The assessment looked at the main five personality traits of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.

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