The association between childhood trauma and memory functioning in schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
Both neurocognitive impairments and a history of childhood abuse are highly prevalent in patients with schizophrenia. Childhood trauma has been associated with memory impairment as well as hippocampal volume reduction in adult survivors. The aim of the following study was to examine the contribution of childhood adversity to verbal memory functioning in people with schizophrenia.


METHODS
Eighty-five outpatients with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia were separated into 2 groups on the basis of self-reports of childhood trauma. Performance on measures of episodic narrative memory, list learning, and working memory was then compared using multivariate analysis of covariance.


RESULTS
Thirty-eight (45%) participants reported moderate to severe levels of childhood adversity, while 47 (55%) reported no or low levels of childhood adversity. After controlling for premorbid IQ and current depressive symptoms, the childhood trauma group had significantly poorer working memory and episodic narrative memory. However, list learning was similar between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Childhood trauma is an important variable that can contribute to specific ongoing memory impairments in schizophrenia.
Shannon
Ciaran
C
School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, N. Ireland. ciaran.shannon@qub.ac.uk
Douse
Kate
K
McCusker
Chris
C
Feeney
Lorraine
L
Barrett
Suzanne
S
Mulholland
Ciaran
C
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D013997:Time Factors