Adverse childhood events and cognitive function among young adults: Prospective results from the national longitudinal study of adolescent to adult health

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect Vol. 115; p. 105008
• Main Authors: Hawkins, Misty A.W., Layman, Harley M., Ganson, Kyle T., Tabler, Jennifer, Ciciolla, Lucia, Tsotsoros, Cindy E., Nagata, Jason M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2021; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Basic needs; Child sexual abuse; Childhood experiences; Childhood factors; Cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive function; Cognitive functioning; Cohort Studies; Delayed; Delayed memory; Deprivation; Early life adversity; Executive function; Health; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Memory; Prospective Studies; Sexual abuse; Short term memory; Teenagers; Threats; Verbal Learning; Verbal memory; Young Adult; Young adults; Early life adversity; Executive function; Adverse childhood experiences; Cognitive function; Memory
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105008

•Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to poorer cognition in early adulthood.•Both deprivation- and threat-type and higher cumulative ACEs predicted cognition.•Screening and tailored treatments addressing ACEs and cognition may be warranted. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may have lasting impacts on cognition. 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 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. 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). The deprivation ACE of not-having-basic-needs met was associated with poorer working (β = 0.14, CI95 -0.26, −0.01), immediate (β=−0.29, CI95 −0.43, −0.15), and delayed memory (β=-0.27, CI95 −0.43, −0.12) at Wave IV; poorer immediate (β=−0.47, CI95–0.79, −0.16) and delayed memory (β=−0.33, CI95 -0.65, −0.01) at Wave V. The threat ACE of sexual abuse was associated with poorer immediate (β=−0.40, CI95 −0.62, −0.17) and delayed memory (β=−0.29, CI95 −0.55, −0.03) at Wave IV. Higher cumulative ACEs predicted poorer delayed memory (β =−0.05, CI95 −0.10, −0.01) at Wave V. 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.