OBJECTIVE: Clinical studies suggest that childhood maltreatment may cause nervous system changes and consequent cognitive disorder. The persistence of this association in late-life is examined. METHODS: Cognitive functioning and childhood events were examined in 1282 persons over 65 years, taking into account proximal competing causes of poor cognitive performance. RESULTS: Ninety one per cent experienced at least one adverse childhood event, of these 14.7% severe events. Sharing of parental problems and, for women, loss of a parent were associated with poorer verbal retrieval whereas being sent to a foster home or mistreatment by schoolmates was associated with poorer visuospatial memory. Severe abuse was associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment on some tests suggesting a resilience factor. Positive childhood environment was protective although only for non-carriers of the ApoE ε4 allele on the central executive task. CONCLUSIONS: Some adverse childhood events continue to have a negative effect on later-life cognitive performance, while some more severe acute events may have the opposite effect, underlying the necessity to consider events individually and not as global test scores.
OBJECTIVE: Clinical studies suggest that childhood maltreatment may cause nervous system changes and consequent cognitive disorder. The persistence of this association in late-life is examined. METHODS: Cognitive functioning and childhood events were examined in 1282 persons over 65 years, taking into account proximal competing causes of poor cognitive performance. RESULTS: Ninety one per cent experienced at least one adverse childhood event, of these 14.7% severe events. Sharing of parental problems and, for women, loss of a parent were associated with poorer verbal retrieval whereas being sent to a foster home or mistreatment by schoolmates was associated with poorer visuospatial memory. Severe abuse was associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment on some tests suggesting a resilience factor. Positive childhood environment was protective although only for non-carriers of the ApoE ε4 allele on the central executive task. CONCLUSIONS: Some adverse childhood events continue to have a negative effect on later-life cognitive performance, while some more severe acute events may have the opposite effect, underlying the necessity to consider events individually and not as global test scores.
Authors: Lisa L Barnes; Robert S Wilson; Susan A Everson-Rose; Mark D Hayward; Denis A Evans; Carlos F Mendes de Leon Journal: Neurology Date: 2012-12-11 Impact factor: 9.910
Authors: Kayla B Corney; Emma C West; Shae E Quirk; Julie A Pasco; Amanda L Stuart; Behnaz Azimi Manavi; Bianca E Kavanagh; Lana J Williams Journal: Front Aging Neurosci Date: 2022-05-04 Impact factor: 5.702
Authors: Patricia A Thomas; Monica M Williams-Farrelly; Madison R Sauerteig; Kenneth F Ferraro Journal: J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci Date: 2022-07-05 Impact factor: 4.942