Do personal traits moderate cognitive abilities in diabetes mellitus?

Introduction. The association between cognitive functions and personal traits is a question of interest and debate. Diabetes mellitus is associated with cognitive changes. The aim of our study was to find if any relations exist between cognitive functions and personal traits in persons with diabetes. Material and methods. We examined 115 patients (average age 62.47±10.60 years; 49 males, 66 females) with diabetes (13 with diabetes type 1 and 102 with type 2 diabetes; mean duration of disease 9.28±6.8 8years), admitted during 2016-2017 in the Neurology Clinic of the University Hospital “Sofiamed”, Sofia, Bulgaria. After having signed the informed consent, all patients underwent full somatic and neurological examination, and fulfilled specific neuropsychological tests and personal questionnaire (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2, MMPI). Results. We found statistically significant associations between MMPI subscales and cognitive domains. Conclusions. Our data analysis shows significant associations between cognitive functions and personal traits. We suggest that cognitive-focused therapy can improve some negative personal traits and vice versa.