@article{ref1,
title="The association between adverse childhood events and later-life cognitive function and dementia risk",
journal="Journal of affective disorders",
year="2022",
author="Nilaweera, Dinuli and Freak-Poli, Rosanne and Gurvich, Caroline and Ritchie, Karen and Chaudieu, Isabelle and Ancelin, Marie-Laure and Ryan, Joanne",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Considerable work exists in the literature to describe the negative impacts of early-life stress exposures on health in adulthood. This study investigated whether the accumulation of adverse childhood events is associated with later-life cognitive function and incident dementia. <br><br>METHODS: Participants were 1562 community-dwelling older adults, who were enrolled in the ESPRIT cohort in France. Adverse childhood events were measured using a modified version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Cognition was measured using tests of global cognition, visual memory, verbal fluency, psychomotor speed and executive function. Fourteen-year incident dementia was diagnosed using DSM-IV criteria. <br><br>RESULTS: In comparison to participants with two or less adverse childhood events, increased risk of poor psychomotor speed at baseline was observed in individuals with multiple adverse childhood events (3-4 events OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.00-1.93); ≥5 events (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.07-2.17), particularly in women but not in men. Worse verbal fluency was also observed in individuals who experienced between three and four adverse childhood events (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.00-1.78). Amongst the individual factors investigated, early-life abuse/maltreatment (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.02-2.14) and poverty/financial difficulties (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.12-2.08) was associated with worse psychomotor speed. No associations were observed with incident dementia. LIMITATIONS: Participants most at risk (those with baseline dementia) were excluded. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Multiple adverse childhood events are associated with worse psychomotor speed, and verbal fluency in later-life, however further research is needed to determine the mechanisms underlying this association and whether it results from unmeasured confounding, including social disadvantage.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0165-0327",
doi="10.1016/j.jad.2022.02.062",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.02.062"
}