Neuropsychological functioning of childhood trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder: A meta-analysis. (January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Malarbi, S.; Abu-Rayya, H.M.; Muscara, F.; Stargatt, R.
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews. Volume 72(2017)
• Page Start: 68
• Page End: 86
• Publication Date: 2017-01
• Subjects: Children -- PTSD -- Trauma -- Physiological stress response -- Maltreatment -- Cognition -- Neurodevelopment; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Human behavior -- Periodicals; Animal behavior -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Behavior -- Periodicals; Ethology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychophysiologie -- Périodiques; Comportement humain -- Périodiques; Animaux -- Mœurs et comportement -- Périodiques; Neurologie -- Périodiques; Animal behavior; Human behavior; Neurology; Psychophysiology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 573.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.11.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0149-7634

Abstract

Highlights: Children exposed to familial trauma with and without PTSD show impaired cognition. Greatest impairments in cognition are associated with a diagnosis of PTSD. Research on children exposed to non-familial trauma is scarce. Abstract: This study reviewed evidence for cognitive impairments in trauma-exposed children with and without PTSD. Twenty-seven studies were eligible for meta-analysis, totalling 1526 participants, including 412 trauma-exposed children (PTSD unknown), 300 children with PTSD (PTSD+), 323 children without PTSD (PTSD-), and 491 trauma-naive controls. Eligible studies mostly investigated familial-maltreatment trauma ( k = 22). Trauma-exposed children (PTSD unknown) performed more poorly overall than controls ( d = −0.57). Cognitive deficits were seen in PTSD+ compared to controls, including a large effect size (ES) for general intelligence ( d = −0.88), moderate ESs for language/verbal ( d = −0.65), visuospatial ( d = −0.53), information processing ( d = −0.62), learning and memory ( d = −0.67), and executive skills ( d = −0.52). PTSD+ showed poorer general intelligence ( d = −0.28) and visuospatial skills ( d = −0.42) compared to PTSD-, whilst PTSD- showed poorer executive function ( d = −0.23) and learning and memory ( d = −0.61) compared to controls. In conclusion, trauma-exposed children showed cognitive deficits compared to controls, although greatest deficits were associated with PTSD diagnosis.