Alzheimer's Disease (AD): Conscientiousness

From the Newsweek website:

Make Your Bed, Save Your Brain
The author of a new study says conscientious people may have less risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
By Karen Springen | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Oct 1, 2007 | Updated: 12:46 p.m. ET Oct 2, 2007

An interview with neuropsychologist Robert Wilson about a recent study he and colleagues completed:

[snip]

A new study, appearing this month in the Archives of General Psychiatry, suggests that being conscientious—hardworking, goal-oriented, dependable—may lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's. Researchers studied 997 older Catholic priests, nuns and monks (average age: 75) who did not have dementia when the study began in 1994. The subjects rated themselves on a "conscientiousness scale," responding to such questions as "I am a productive person who always gets the job done." Over the 12 years of the study, 176 participants developed Alzheimer's, and they tended to be individuals who were less conscientious.

[snip]

[ ... Read the interview ... ]