Memory decline, incomprehensible language, strange behavior, sudden temper tantrums, throwing things, once effortless work now becoming inadequate, and even difficulty taking care of oneself... The personalities and behaviors of some elderly people seem to have undergone earth shattering changes overnight. Some scientists believe that such a drastic change in temperament suggests that the elderly may have developed Alzheimer's disease. However, researchers from Northern Arizona University in the United States, such as Katsuya Ohi, have also questioned these seemingly intuitive associations. He believes that equating a significant change in personality with a warning light for memory decline is like judging a person's identity based solely on a blurry photo, which is too hasty. In Otai's laboratory, a mountain of data comes from a huge health study spanning more than ten years, involving more than 12000 Americans over the age of 50. The team led by Katsuya Oi began analyzing how the neuroticism, openness, extroversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness of these individuals develop with changes in stressful life and memory impairment. The result is surprising. On average, regardless of whether memory is declining or not, the study subjects showed a significant decline over time in all five traits, with a small but significant magnitude. This finding is consistent with existing research and further confirms the common phenomenon that as people age, their personality traits tend to flatten out and become more introverted in social and emotional aspects. What surprised them even more was that these changes had little to do with memory decline, but were closely related to the ups and downs of life. Losing loved ones, financial difficulties, health problems... These pressures from life have become the "invisible hand" shaping the character of the elderly. Some people have a decreased ability to regulate their emotions, indicating an increase in their neurotic traits. Research has found that over an 8-year period, stress-related events can explain 25% to 35% of neurotic changes, which is much more than the "suspicion" of memory decline. Many clinical doctors associate sudden changes in the personality of elderly people with memory problems, as if this is a clever way to identify Alzheimer's disease. But new research suggests that this association may not necessarily be correct. If an elderly person is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease immediately upon seeing a significant change in their temperament, it is highly likely to be misdiagnosed and even cause secondary psychological harm. Daiki also emphasized that reducing social pressure, especially inequality pressure, can better protect the brain from the invasion of time. (New Society)