Childhood physical neglect promotes development of mild cognitive impairment in old age – A case-control study

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the role of early traumatic experiences in development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Chinese elderly people. Seventy six patients and 61 controls were selected and assigned into two study groups, MCI and control, respectively. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) was used for assessment of early trauma, episodic memory and association learning scales for memory evaluation. In addition, event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured using electroencephalography (EEG) to indicate brain electrical activity of subjects during memory/cognitive tests. MCI patients showed higher scores of physical neglect and lower scores of emotional abuse in childhood than control group. Physical neglect score was negatively correlated with scores of MMSE, MoCA, episodic memory, calculation, and the amplitude of CzP300, FzP300 and PzP300, while a positive correlation was seen between the score of physical neglect and the latency of PzN200, FzN200, CzN200, CzP300, FzP300 and PzP300. The score of emotional abuse was weakly correlated with FzP300 amplitude, but not with any other ERP components. Our results suggested that early childhood exposure to physical neglect may lead to impairment in learning and memory, particularly in the associative learning and episodic memory, in old age.

Early-Life Stress Does Not Aggravate Spatial Memory or the Process of Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Adult and Middle-Aged APP/PS1 Mice

“…Recent clinical studies have further suggested that exposure to stress or trauma early in life might enhance the vulnerability to develop dementia later in life (Seifan et al, 2015 ; Wang et al, 2016 ), although the study of this hypothesis has only recently begun. The early-life period is a sensitive time for brain development, during which the brain is particularly vulnerable to adversities, that can alter developmental trajectories and lead to life-long changes in brain function (Heim and Nemeroff, 2001 ; Barker, 2004 ; Barker et al, 2013 ).…”

“…The early-life period is a sensitive time for brain development, during which the brain is particularly vulnerable to adversities, that can alter developmental trajectories and lead to life-long changes in brain function (Heim and Nemeroff, 2001 ; Barker, 2004 ; Barker et al, 2013 ). In fact, early-life stress (ES) has been shown to induce deficits in adult hippocampal structure and functioning, as well as cognitive impairments in both humans and rodent ES models (Staff et al, 2012 ; Naninck et al, 2015 ; Wang et al, 2016 ; Calem et al, 2017 ).…”

Characterization of astrocytes throughout life in wildtype and APP/PS1 mice after early-life stress exposure

“…Early-life stress (ES) has been associated with cognitive deficits in adulthood [1][2][3][4] and there is emerging evidence that ES also increases the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) [5,6]. For example, among children who have experienced physical neglect, mild cognitive impairment, considered a prodromal phase of AD, is more frequently observed [7]. Moreover, parental loss and stress during childhood have been associated with an increased risk of developing AD [8][9][10].…”

Characterization of astrocytes throughout life in wildtype and APP/PS1 mice after early-life stress exposure

“…Early-life stress (ES) has been associated with cognitive deficits in adulthood [1][2][3][4] and there is emerging evidence that ES also increases the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) [5,6]. For example, among children who have experienced physical neglect, mild cognitive impairment, considered a prodromal phase of AD, is more frequently observed [7]. Moreover, parental loss and stress during childhood have been associated with an increased risk of developing AD [8][9][10].…”