title: The association between childhood trauma and memory functioning in schizophrenia.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, N. Ireland. ciaran.shannon@qub.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ciaran
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shannon
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Douse
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McCusker
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feeney
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Ciaran
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mulholland
mesh_terms: 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