How early life shapes personality linked to Alzheimer’s risk
Prenatal and Early Life Antecedents of Personality: An Intergenerational Lifespan Approach
This project looks at how prenatal and early-life experiences shape personality traits that can affect Alzheimer’s risk later in adulthood.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tallahassee, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10836199 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work follows people across the lifespan, including before birth, childhood, and adulthood, to link early experiences with personality and later cognitive health. Researchers combine personality measures, informant reports from family or friends, and cognitive tests or medical records to see connections with memory problems and dementia. The study uses an intergenerational approach by comparing parents and children to spot inherited or family-environment influences. The goal is to find early-life pathways that might be useful for preventing or delaying Alzheimer’s disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults and families willing to share early-life histories, personality information, and cognitive or medical follow-up across generations.
Not a fit: People already living with advanced Alzheimer’s disease are unlikely to receive direct clinical benefit from this observational research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this project could point to early-life factors and personality-related pathways that help prevent or delay Alzheimer’s disease.
How similar studies have performed: Previous long-term studies have linked higher neuroticism and lower conscientiousness to greater dementia risk, while using prenatal and childhood antecedents in an intergenerational design is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Tallahassee, United States
- Florida State University — Tallahassee, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sutin, Angelina R — Florida State University
- Study coordinator: Sutin, Angelina R
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.