Personality change following head injury: assessment with the NEO Five-Factor Inventory

J Psychosom Res. 1997 Nov;43(5):505-11. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3999(97)00152-9.

Abstract

We evaluated personality change following head injury in 68 patients at 6 months postinjury using the NEO Five-Factor Inventory to assess the five personality dimensions of the Five-Factor Model of Personality. All items had to be rated twice, once for the preinjury and once for the current status. Twenty-eight trauma patients with injuries to other parts of the body than the head were used as controls. For the head-injured group, 63 relatives also completed the questionnaire. The results showed no differences between the ratings of head-injured patients and the ratings of trauma control patients. Both groups showed significant change in the personality dimensions Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness. Compared to their relatives, head-injured patients report a smaller change in Extraversion and Conscientiousness. Changes were not reported on the Openness and Agreeableness scales, by neither the head-injured or their relatives, nor by the trauma controls.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / diagnosis*
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / psychology
  • Brain Injuries / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neurocognitive Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Neurocognitive Disorders / psychology
  • Personality Assessment / statistics & numerical data
  • Personality Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Personality Disorders / psychology
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychometrics
  • Reproducibility of Results