 |
 |
--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)--