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, 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.

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.

中文翻译：

---

不良童年事件和年轻人的认知功能：青少年至成人健康国家纵向研究的前瞻性结果

 背景

不良童年经历（ACE）可能对认知产生持久影响。

 客观的

确定 ACE 暴露是否与年轻人的认知存在前瞻性相关。我们假设剥夺型和威胁型 ACE 以及较高的累积 ACE 暴露预示着认知能力较差。

 参与者及设置

参与者来自国家青少年至成人健康纵向研究（Add Health），这是一项针对美国青少年至成年的前瞻性队列研究。目前的研究参与者年龄为 18-24 岁（第三波）、24-32 岁（第四波）和 31-42 岁（第五波）。第四波样本的最大样本量为 12,288 名成年人；第 V 波有 1277 名成人。

 方法

ACE 的历史在第三波中进行了评估。使用雷伊听觉言语学习测试（即时和延迟言语记忆）和数字跨度向后任务（工作记忆）评估第四波和第五波的三个认知指标。

 结果

剥夺基本需求未得到满足的 ACE 与较差的工作能力 ( β = 0.14, CI ₉₅ -0.26, -0.01)、即时能力 ( β = -0.29, CI ₉₅ -0.43, -0.15) 和记忆延迟有关( β= -0.27, CI ₉₅ -0.43, -0.12) 在第 IV 波；第 V 波的即时记忆较差 ( β= -0.47, CI ₉₅ –0.79, -0.16) 和延迟记忆 ( β= -0.33, CI ₉₅ -0.65, -0.01)。性虐待的威胁 ACE 与较差的即时记忆 ( β = -0.40，CI ₉₅ -0.62，-0.17）和第四波的延迟记忆（ β= -0.29，CI ₉₅ -0.55，-0.03）。较高的累积 ACE 预示着第 V 波的延迟记忆较差（ β =−0.05，CI ₉₅ −0.10，−0.01）。

 结论

较高的 ACE，尤其是剥夺型的，预计与较差的认知能力有关。针对 ACE 和认知功能的早期大规模筛查/定制治疗可能是必要的。