SUMMER 2026 / FSUMED 33 the buildup of“ roadblocks” in the major highways of the brain. These roadblocks, which are plaques, impede the flow of information to and through the brain; eventually, those highways deteriorate. The infrastructure of the highways collapses as the disease progresses, highways crumble, and no new information can be transported. For those who tend to be less emotionally stable, this collapse may manifest more severely than in more emotionally stable people.
Personality traits, like conscientiousness, may provide a detour, allowing information to be carried on an alternate route. Mapping out these mental detours is a lifelong goal for Terracciano. He spent years working at the National Institute on Aging before joining FSU. Using a“ Three-Bucket System,” Terracciano follows Alzheimer’ s progression from onset to behavioral impact to determine how personality may contribute to the differences between individuals who may have similar brain pathology.
The first bucket of discovery focuses on personality as a risk factor for dementia. More emotionally sound, or conscientious, traits reduce the risk of dementia while less emotional stability may weigh down the system throughout life. Emotional instability facilitates the manifestation of symptoms, he said. Higher neuroticism, or emotional instability, can reduce the brain’ s resilience and allow symptoms to appear even before the roadblocks have fully formed.
The second bucket examines the physical roadblocks, or biological underpinnings, that contribute to disease progression over time. This is where Terracciano maps how personality tends to influence when clinical symptoms begin to show and how that correlates with the accumulation of amyloid and tau proteins. While personality traits can influence when and how clinical symptoms emerge, the biological markers are what represent the infrastructure crumbling that ultimately impacts behavior and physical ability.
Finally, the third bucket examines the behavioral transformation— just as our personality can influence dementia, disease progression mirrors back onto personality over time.
While personality traits correlate to dementia risk, Terracciano emphasizes that life experiences and mental and physical health also contribute to brain aging, and they influence the rate at which our brain ages. Personality traits can contribute to lifestyle through habits— schedules, routines, physical activity levels— and mental / physical health may be maintained more effectively by more“ conscientious” people. The risk of dementia may be delayed, whereas people who tend to have less stringent routines and are less likely to effectively manage mental / physical health may experience earlier disease onset and progression.
Whereas conscientiousness may slow brain aging, developing diabetes or other medical conditions may exacerbate it. Terracciano is determined to find out how to reduce the risk of dementia throughout life.
“ We want to understand what’ s a greater risk and what people could do to reduce such risk. Maybe these are even more reason why they should take care of their emotional health,” Terracciano said.
Terracciano’ s work is part of a larger initiative in the Department of Geriatrics to build a toolkit for medical students, caregivers and our local community. Through programs such as REACH( Resources & Education for Aging, Community and Health), the department aims to raise awareness and provide resources for aging adults and those who care for them right here at home.
By translating its work into action through community engagement and intervention, the Department of Geriatrics aims to illuminate the path for Floridians to age with strength and dignity.
For more information on the REACH program, scan the QR code or visit https:// reach. med. fsu. edu /