Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Cognitive Decline

Abstract We aim to study Adverse childhood experiences' (ACEs') association with cognitive decline during adulthood. We reviewed data on subjective cognitive decline (SCD) for those ≥45 years of age. Logistic regression analysis, odds ratio, and 95% confidence interval (CI) assessed the association between ACEs and SCD. We analyzed an adult survey ( N = 3900, mean age: 60.9 years, male: 46%). The most common ACE reported was household substance abuse (22.4%), followed by parental divorce/separation (20.9%). The prevalence of SCD in those having at least one ACE was higher than those without any (16.5% vs . 8.1%, p < 0.001). SCD positively correlated with the number of ACEs ( p < 0.001). The odds of SCD increase in proportion to the increase in the number of ACEs experienced. These findings should be replicated in a larger population while controlling for confounding factors.