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Persönlichkeit im höheren Lebensalter

Personality in old age

  • Leitthema
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Zusammenfassung

Die moderne Entwicklungspsychologie liefert eine Reihe positiver Ergebnisse hinsichtlich ressourcenorientierter Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten im höheren Lebensalter. In diesem Beitrag untersuchen wir vorwiegend die problematischen und damit psychiatrisch relevanten Aspekte der Persönlichkeit im Alter: das Fortbestehen der Persönlichkeitsstörungen Cluster A und C, die Delikte alter Patienten mit antisozialer Persönlichkeitsstörung, die Interdependenz von Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen und der Diagnose einer leichten kognitiven Störung, Persönlichkeitseigenschaften als potenzielle Risikofaktoren oder frühe Merkmale einer Alzheimer-Demenz, Veränderungen der Persönlichkeit im Rahmen anderer altersassoziierter Hirnerkrankungen, vor allem der frontotemporalen Demenz. Einige neue Forschungsergebnisse, die auf eine funktionelle Neuroanatomie der Persönlichkeit hinweisen, werden erwähnt. Außerdem zitieren wir aus cato maior, de senectute, und stellen fest, dass einige der von Cicero recht kritisch eingeschätzten, klassischen Persönlichkeitsmerkmale mancher alter Menschen auch heute noch aktuell wirken und teilweise positiv beeinflussbar zu sein scheinen.

Summary

Modern developmental psychology tends to draw a positive, resource-based picture of human aging. We will however focus on more difficult aspects of personality in old age which are of psychiatric relevance: the persistence of cluster A and C personality disorders, antisocial personality in the elderly; the interaction of personality and a detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI); personality features as risk or protective factors or early signs of Alzheimer’s dementia; changes of personality in Parkinson’s disease and frontotemporal dementia. We will briefly mention recent neuroimaging studies which appear to suggest a functional neuroanatomy of personality. A quote from Cicero’s cato major, de senectute indicates that some of his perceptions regarding classic personality characteristics of the elderly can be recognized in our patients and can be prevented or treated with modern interventions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Straße 22, 81675, München, Deutschland

    H. Förstl, R. Perneczky & J. Diehl-Schmid

  2. Institut für Geschichte der Medizin, Universität Köln, Köln, Deutschland

    A. Karenberg

  3. Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, St. Vincent’s Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australien

    N.T. Lautenschlager

  4. School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, WA Centre for Health and Ageing, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Perth, Australien

    N.T. Lautenschlager

Authors
  1. H. Förstl
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  2. R. Perneczky
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  3. A. Karenberg
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  4. J. Diehl-Schmid
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  5. N.T. Lautenschlager
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Correspondence to H. Förstl.

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At sunt morosi et anxii et iracundi et difficiles senes. si quaerimus, etiam avari; sed haec morum vitia sunt, non senectutis. …

Cicero MT: cato maior, de senectute, 45/44 v. Chr.

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Förstl, H., Perneczky, R., Karenberg, A. et al. Persönlichkeit im höheren Lebensalter. Nervenarzt 80, 1275–1282 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00115-009-2806-1

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