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Citation
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Hawkins MAW, Layman HM, Ganson KT, Tabler J, Ciciolla L, Tsotsoros CE, Nagata JM. Child Abuse Negl. 2021; 115: 105008. |
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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may have lasting impacts on cognition.
OBJECTIVE: To determine if ACE exposure is prospectively associated with cognition in young adults. We hypothesized that deprivation- and threat-type ACEs as well as higher cumulative ACE exposure predict poorer cognition. PARTICIPANTS & SETTING: Participants were from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a prospective cohort investigation of U.S. adolescents followed to adulthood. Current study participants were 18-24 years old (Wave III), 24-32 years old (Wave IV), and 31-42 years old (Wave V). The maximum Wave IV sample was 12,288 adults; Wave V was 1277 adults.
METHODS: History of ACEs were assessed at Wave III. Three cognitive indicators were assessed at Wave IV and Wave V using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (immediate and delayed verbal memory) and the Digit-Span Backward Task (working memory).
RESULTS: The deprivation ACE of not-having-basic-needs met was associated with poorer working (β = 0.14, CI(95) -0.26, -0.01), immediate (β=-0.29, CI(95) -0.43, -0.15), and delayed memory (β=-0.27, CI(95) -0.43, -0.12) at Wave IV; poorer immediate (β=-0.47, CI(95)-0.79, -0.16) and delayed memory (β=-0.33, CI(95) -0.65, -0.01) at Wave V. The threat ACE of sexual abuse was associated with poorer immediate (β=-0.40, CI(95) -0.62, -0.17) and delayed memory (β=-0.29, CI(95) -0.55, -0.03) at Wave IV. Higher cumulative ACEs predicted poorer delayed memory (β =-0.05, CI(95) -0.10, -0.01) at Wave V.
CONCLUSIONS: Higher ACEs, especially deprivation-type, were prospectively linked to poorer cognition. Early wide-scale screening/tailored treatments addressing ACEs and cognitive function may be warranted.
Language: en |