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Childhood adversity and cognitive function in schizophrenia spectrum disorders and healthy controls: evidence for an association between neglect and social cognition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2017

S Kilian ,
L Asmal ,
B Chiliza ,
MR Olivier ,
L Phahladira ,
F Scheffler ,
S Seedat ,
SR Marder ,
MF Green  and
R Emsley
S Kilian*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
L Asmal
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
B Chiliza
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
MR Olivier
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
L Phahladira
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
F Scheffler
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
S Seedat
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
SR Marder
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, USA VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, USA
MF Green
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, USA VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, USA
R Emsley
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
*
Author for correspondence: S Kilian, E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background

Childhood adversity is associated with cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. However, findings to date are inconsistent and little is known about the relationship between social cognition and childhood trauma. We investigated the relationship between childhood abuse and neglect and cognitive function in patients with a first-episode of schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder (n = 56) and matched healthy controls (n = 52). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study assessing this relationship in patients and controls exposed to similarly high levels of trauma.

Methods

Pearson correlational coefficients were used to assess correlations between Childhood Trauma Questionnaire abuse and neglect scores and cognition. For the MCCB domains displaying significant (p < 0.05) correlations, within group hierarchical linear regression, was done to assess whether abuse and neglect were significant predictors of cognition after controlling for the effect of education.

Results

Patients and controls reported similarly high levels of abuse and neglect. Cognitive performance was poorer for patients compared with controls for all cognitive domains except working memory and social cognition. After controlling for education, exposure to childhood neglect remained a significant predictor of impairment in social cognition in both patients and controls. Neglect was also a significant predictor of poorer verbal learning in patients and of attention/vigilance in controls. However, childhood abuse did not significantly predict cognitive impairments in either patients or controls.

Conclusion

These findings are cross sectional and do not infer causality. Nonetheless, they indicate that associations between one type of childhood adversity (i.e. neglect) and social cognition are present and are not illness-specific.

Keywords

Childhood traumaneglectoutcomepsychosissocial cognition
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 48 , Issue 13 , October 2018 , pp. 2186 - 2193
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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