This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that a higher level of childhood adversity is associated with increased risk of cerebral infarction in old age.
Methods: Older participants in a longitudinal clinical–pathologic study rated adverse childhood experiences (e.g., emotional neglect, parental intimidation and violence) on a previously established 16-item scale. During a mean of 3.5 years of follow-up, there were 257 deaths, with 206 brain autopsies (80.2). Number of chronic cerebral infarcts (gross plus microscopic; expressed as 0, 1, or >1) was determined in a uniform neuropathologic examination, which had been completed in 192 individuals at the time of these analyses.
Results: Childhood adversity scores ranged from 0 to 31 (mean = 8.3, SD = 6.4). In an ordinal logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, and education, higher adversity was associated with higher likelihood of chronic cerebral infarction. In analyses of childhood adversity subscales, only emotional neglect was associated with infarction (odds ratio [OR] = 1.097; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.048–1.148). The likelihood of infarction was 2.8 times higher (95% CI 2.0–4.1) in those reporting a moderately high level of childhood emotional neglect (score = 6, 75th percentile) vs a moderately low level of neglect (score = 1, 25th percentile). Results were comparable in subsequent analyses that controlled for lifetime socioeconomic status, cardiovascular risk factors, and an anxiety-related trait.
Conclusion: Emotional neglect in childhood may be a risk factor for cerebral infarction in old age.
Glossary
- GLOSSARY
- CI =
- confidence interval;
- OR =
- odds ratio
Footnotes
Study funding: Supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01AG17917, R01AG24480, R01AG24871, R01HL94966, R01AG33678, and R01AG34374) and the Illinois Department of Public Health. The funding organizations had no role in the design or conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data; or preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.
Editorial, page 1524.
Supplemental data at www.neurology.org
- Received December 14, 2011.
- Accepted April 10, 2012.
- Copyright © 2012 by AAN Enterprises, Inc.
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
Letters: Rapid online correspondence
REQUIREMENTS
You must ensure that your Disclosures have been updated within the previous six months. Please go to our Submission Site to add or update your Disclosure information.
Your co-authors must send a completed Publishing Agreement Form to Neurology Staff (not necessary for the lead/corresponding author as the form below will suffice) before you upload your comment.
If you are responding to a comment that was written about an article you originally authored:
You (and co-authors) do not need to fill out forms or check disclosures as author forms are still valid
and apply to letter.
Submission specifications:
- Submissions must be < 200 words with < 5 references. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- Submissions should not have more than 5 authors. (Exception: original author replies can include all original authors of the article)
- Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.
