--Boundary (ID Sj0GllG9BJGRQHBigIWBbg)
Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
 
 
Wendy and others who have been thinking about "premorbid personality" and PD
 --
 
This is obviously a controversial issue.  I've been curious about it since
my father, who has PD, seems to fit the description -- on the other hand, he
smoked for many years, so who can tell.  Here are citations of two recent
articles on the subject.  The second article seems more important to me,
since it is a study of people who actually have PD and thus is less
speculative.  It seems to me that focusing on personality may be a way to
blame the victim, and shift attention away from other possibilities, like
environmental exposures, which society has more responsibility for.  Just my
two cents. :-)
 
Freya ([log in to unmask])
 
Bell IR, Schwartz GE, Amend D, Peterson JM, Kaszniak AW, Miller CS.
Psychological characteristics and subjective intolerance for xenobiotic
agents of normal young adults with trait shyness and defensiveness: a
parkinsonian-like personality type?. J Nerv Ment Dis 1994; 182:367-374.
The present study examines the psychological characteristics and
self-reported responses to xenobiotic agents such as tobacco smoke and
pesticide of normal young adults with personality traits similar to those
claimed for Parkinsonian patients. Previous research, though controversial,
has suggested that persons with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) have
premorbid personality traits that may include shyness and repressive
defensiveness. Other epidemiological evidence indicates that PD patients may
have premorbidly increased prevalence of anxiety, affective, and/or
somatoform disorders; decreased rates of smoking and alcohol consumption;
and elevated exposure to herbicides or pesticides. A total of 783 college
students enrolled in an introductory psychology course completed the Cheek-
Buss Scale (shyness), the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale
(defensiveness), Symptom Checklist 90 (revised), the Mastery Scale, a health
history checklist, and rating scales for frequency of illness from alcohol
and 10 common environmental chemicals. Subjects were divided into four
groups on the basis of above- versus below-median scores on the Cheek-Buss
and Marlowe-Crowne scales (persons high in shyness and defensiveness, those
high only in shyness, those high only in defensiveness, and those low in
both shyness and defensiveness). The group high in shyness but low in
defensiveness had the highest, whereas the group low in shyness but high in
defensiveness had the lowest, total scores on the SCL-90- R; the two shyest
groups were lowest in sense of mastery. Similar to PD, the group high in
both shyness and defensiveness overall reported the least number of smokers
(10% vs. 19% in those high only in shyness, 17% in those high only in
defensiveness, and 28% in those low in both traits, p <.001); differences
within women largely accounted for this finding. Subjects higher in shyness
and/or defensiveness rated themselves higher in frequency of illness from a
small amount of alcohol than did those who were low in both shyness and
defensiveness. The group who was high in both shyness and defensiveness
tended to report the highest frequency of illness from pesticide as well as
other xenobiotic odors (e.g., newsprint). Taken together with previous
research, the findings suggest that certain young adults high in shyness,
and especially those also high in defensiveness, may be among the subset of
the population at increased risk for PD later in life.
 
Glosser G, Clark C, Freundlich B, Klinerkrenzel L, Flaherty P, Stern M. A
controlled investigation of current and premorbid personality:
Characteristics of Parkinson's disease patients. Movement Disord 1995;
10:201-206.
It has been suggested that before development of motor symptoms, Parkinson's
disease (PD) patients with idiopathic display a specific cluster of
personality traits consisting of increased rigidity, conscientiousness,
industriousness, orderliness, and cautiousness. The idea of such a
distinctive premorbid personality profile remains controversial. This
hypothesis was reexamined using a methodology that expands on previous
studies. Patients with idiopathic PD, probable Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and
medical controls with nonneurological chronic progressive motor disorders
were rated by a close relative on the NEO-Personality Inventory (PI) to
compare current and premorbid personality profiles. For PD and control
subjects, current and past self-ratings were also obtained. Results do not
support the postulated distinctive PD personality either premorbidly or
following onset of symptoms. Both in terms of the premorbid personality
profile and perceived changes in personality postdating the onset of
illness, PD patients are similar to AD patients. Though not differing from
medical controls premorbidly, after developing symptoms, PD patients were
described as less extroverted; less exploratory and curious; and less
organized, goal directed, and disciplined.
 
 
 
 
--Boundary (ID Sj0GllG9BJGRQHBigIWBbg)--