A four-year longitudinal study conducted in Spain explored the link between the personality trait of openness to experience and the cognitive functioning of elderly individuals. The study, published in Neuropsychologia, found that those with a higher degree of openness exhibited a more substantial cognitive reserve. This enhanced cognitive reserve, in turn, was correlated with improved cognitive functioning.

The average duration of human life has increased drastically in the past century. This increase means that individuals in advanced age are an ever-larger share of the population. As a result, cognitive decline and dementia are becoming more and more frequent and one of the public health priorities.

However, there are large individual differences in how cognitive functioning changes with age. While some individuals retain very good cognitive functioning even in very old age, other experience a very quick and early onset of cognitive decline.

Scientists have been studying the factors behind these differences and have found, among other things, that individuals with a marked openness to experience often display superior cognitive performance in their later years.

Previous research has also led to the development of the concept of “cognitive reserve” – the brain’s resilience and adaptability to age-related changes through optimal use of its resources. It is believed that certain life experiences such as education, professional challenges, and engaging in cognitively stimulating activities can enhance this reserve.

Study author Teresa Montoliu and her colleagues wanted to explore whether cognitive reserve might have a mediating role in the relationship between openness to experience and global cognitive functioning. Individuals open to experience might be better able to acquire different skills and experiences by engaging in a wide range of activities during their lifetime. This would then translate to a better cognitive reserve that, in turn, protects against measurable cognitive decline in older age.

The study’s participants were elderly individuals, sourced from a study program designed for those over 55 at the University of Valencia in Spain. Initially, the study included 128 participants, but only 87 remained four years later. Participants ranged from 55 to 77 years old at the study’s inception and were between 59 and 81 years old during the follow-up. All were native Spanish speakers and exhibited no signs of cognitive impairment at the study’s start.

The participants completed a personality assessment (the Spanish version of the NEO-Five Factor Inventory), an assessment of cognitive reserve (the CRQ, completed both at the start of the study and in the follow-up), and an assessment of cognitive functioning (both at the start of the study and in the follow-up using a battery of neuropsychological tests).

The findings indicated no significant shifts in cognitive reserve from the study’s commencement to its conclusion. The study also found a general stability in cognitive levels across the two checkpoints, with immediate recall being the lone cognitive skill to decline.

Statistical analyses revealed that individuals with heightened openness to experience consistently exhibited superior cognitive reserve both at the outset and the conclusion of the study. Those with better cognitive reserve across these periods generally demonstrated improved cognitive functioning. The data suggests that cognitive reserve might mediate the relationship between openness to experience and cognitive functioning – implying that a higher openness leads to a stronger cognitive reserve, which subsequently results in enhanced cognitive performance in the elderly.

The study’s authors concluded, “Our findings affirm that cognitive reserve plays a pivotal role in linking openness to cognitive functionality and decline. Our data supports the differential preservation hypothesis, which proposes that older adults involved in mentally stimulating activities tend to resist age-related cognitive regression more effectively. Interventions should factor in elements like openness and cognitive reserve to enhance elderly individuals’ quality of life by mitigating cognitive decline. Encouraging activities that boost cognitive reserve, such as reading, painting, dancing, or exercising, can be especially beneficial.”

The study sheds light on psychological mechanisms protecting from cognitive decline in old age. However, it also has limitations that need to be taken into account. Notably, study participants were all older adults enrolled in a university. This is a very self-selected sample of likely cognitively better functioning individuals. Results might not be the same on older adults from the general population.

The study, “Openness to experience and cognitive functioning and decline in older adults: The mediating role of cognitive reserve”, was authored by Teresa Montoliu, Mariola Zapater-Fajarí, Vanesa Hidalgo, and Alicia Salvador.