title: The effects of child abuse and neglect on cognitive functioning in adulthood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent research has revealed that early life trauma (ELS), including abuse (sexual and/or physical) and neglect, produce lasting changes in the CNS. We posited that cognitive deficits, often observed in psychiatric patients, result, in part, due to the neurobiological consequences of ELS. Additionally, we hypothesized that the nature and magnitude of cognitive deficits would differ according to the subtype of ELS experienced.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) was used to assess neurocognitive functioning in 93 subjects (60 with ELS and 33 without). In the patients with a history of ELS, 35% and 16.7%, respectively, met criteria for current major depression and PTSD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant associations between ELS status and CANTAB measures of memory and executive and emotional functioning were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that exposure to ELS results in a cascade of neurobiological changes associated with cognitive deficits in adulthood that vary according to the type of trauma experienced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heim
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majer
authors.forename: Charles B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Nemeroff
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D057566:Self Report; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult