scholarly journals Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) associated with reduced cognitive flexibility in both college and community samples

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0260822
Author(s):  
Vrinda Kalia ◽  
Katherine Knauft ◽  
Niki Hayatbini
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood

The prefrontal cortex is sensitive to stress experiences and significantly impacted by early life adversity. Cognitive flexibility is an executive function that is associated with positive outcomes in adulthood and implicated in activity in the prefrontal cortex. The relationship between early life adversity and cognitive flexibility is underreported. Using the cumulative risk model, we conducted two studies to examine the association between early life adversity and cognitive flexibility in college students and adults (cumulative N = 510). Exposure to early life adversity was assessed using the adverse childhood experiences scale (ACEs). Cognitive flexibility was assessed using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Additionally, as perceived chronic stress is associated with impaired prefrontal cortex function, we measured that as well. Higher number of ACEs was correlated with lower number of completed categories on the WCST in both college students and adults. Perceived chronic stress was not associated with cognitive flexibility, but did correlate positively with ACEs. Individuals with a higher number of ACEs were also more likely to report higher levels of perceived chronic stress. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that exposure to adverse childhood experiences predicted lower scores on completed categories. Our findings provide further evidence that individuals with early life adversity exhibit reduced cognitive flexibility in adulthood.

scholarly journals Cognitive flexibility and perceived threat from COVID-19 mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and state anxiety

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0243881
Author(s):  
Vrinda Kalia ◽  
Katherine Knauft ◽  
Niki Hayatbini
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
State Anxiety ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Perceived Threat ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
The Relationship

Converging empirical evidence indicates that exposure to adversity in childhood is associated with increased vulnerability to mental health problems in adulthood. As early life adversity has the potential to alter an individual’s appraisal of threat, we hypothesized that individuals exposed to adversity in childhood may also exhibit increased threat from environmental stressors, which in turn may impact their state anxiety levels. We examined the relations between adverse childhood experiences, assessed using the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (ACEs), perceived threat from COVID-19, and state anxiety in a sample of adults. Additionally, flexibility is implicated in adaptive coping with life’s stressors so we also assessed participants’ cognitive flexibility. Parallel mediation regression analyses revealed that both perceived threat from COVID-19 and flexibility in the appraisal of challenges mediated the influence of maltreatment, but not household dysfunction, on state anxiety. Our data indicate that experience with early life adversity in the form of maltreatment is associated with increased perceived threat from COVID-19, which results in higher anxiety levels for the individual. In contrast, childhood maltreatment is associated with reduced flexibility in appraising challenges, which in turn mediates the relationship between maltreatment and anxiety. The findings of this study adds to the limited literature on the impact of early life adversity on cognitive flexibility and highlights the psychological toll of COVID-19 on individuals who have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences.

It doesn’t end there: Mental health difficulties across ages 3-14 mediate the long-term association between early-life adversity and poorer cognitive functioning

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tochukwu Nweze ◽  
Amy Orben ◽  
Anne-Laura Van Harmelen ◽  
Delia Fuhrmann ◽  
Rogier Kievit
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood

SummaryBackground: Early-life adversity is associated with adverse mental health outcomes and poorer cognitive functioning in later development. However, little is known about how early-life adversity, mental health and cognition affect one another or how the effects unfold over time. In a unique longitudinal sample, we use a path model approach to study whether poorer mental health in childhood may mediate the effects of early-life adversity on later cognitive outcomes.Methods: We used 5-wave longitudinal data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a British population study that prospectively sampled children born between September 1, 2000 and January 11, 2002. We used data collected when the children were aged 3, 5, 7, 11 and 14. Information on exposure to adverse childhood experiences and mental health were provided by parents, while the children completed two cognitive tasks and additional mental health questionnaires at ages 11 and 14. A global adversity score was extracted from multiple adverse childhood experiences collected in the study using Principal Component Analysis. Total errors in a working memory task and total correct number of words in a vocabulary task were the principal cognitive outcomes. Total scores on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were modeled as mediators.Findings: The sample consisted of 13,287 children (Male = 6,712, Female = 6,575) who completed the working memory task at age 11 and 11,726 children (Male = 5,884, Female = 5,842) who completed a vocabulary task at age 14. We found a significant total association between global adversity and poorer performance on working memory (β = 0.116, p < 0.001 [95%CI 0.098, 0.134]) and vocabulary scores (β = -0.112, p < 0.001, [95% CI-0.130, -0.094]) tasks. Notably, current and previous mental health mediated a substantial proportion (working memory: 59%; vocabulary: ¬65%), of these effects. Our analysis showed that adversity has an enduring adverse effect on mental health, and that poorer mental health is associated with poorer cognitive performance later on in development. Moreover, the adverse effects of mental health were cumulative: poor mental health early on is associated with poorer cognitive scores up to 11 years later, above and beyond contemporaneous mental health.Interpretations: Children who experience early-life adversity are more likely to suffer from poorer mental health, which in turn is associated with poorer cognitive performance in adolescence. Our findings highlight at least one potential mechanism through which early-life adversity leads to poorer cognitive outcomes: Prolonged periods of poor mental health may have lasting, partially cumulative effects on working memory and vocabulary. These findings have important potential clinical and educational implications, because they suggest that academic and cognitive resilience may be supported through early mental health interventions in vulnerable children. Funding: TN is supported by the Cambridge Trust (University of Cambridge). ALVH is supported by Royal Society, and the Social Safety and Resilience programme at Leiden University. RAK was supported by Rogier A. Kievit, Medical Research Council (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000265), Award ID: SUAG/047 G101400 and a Hypatia Fellowship (Radboud University).

Creating Relationships Responsive to Students' Needs

2020 ◽  
pp. 46-59
Author(s):  
Brianne N. Kramer
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
High School ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Student Relationships ◽  
Teacher Student Relationships ◽  
The Third ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Adverse Childhood

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the author's experiences in teaching and mentoring high school and college students. One experience shared identifies the challenges students from minoritized populations may have with teachers from the dominant majority and the effects this has on students. Another experience shared details the importance of strong teacher-student relationships and how many times they are forged during participation in extra- or co-curricular activities. The third experience shared focuses on working with students who have had trauma in their backgrounds or who have had adverse childhood experiences. The chapter concludes with some helpful tips for teachers.

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