Executive functions and clinical symptoms in children exposed to maltreatment

Abstract

There is evidence of an association between childhood maltreatment and lifelong cognitive impairment. Few studies investigate cognitive functioning in maltreated children. The objective of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in executive processing between maltreated and nonmaltreated children. Additionally, clinical symptoms were compared between groups and possible associations between clinical symptoms, and deficits in executive functions were investigated. The sample consisted of 55 children (8–12 years), 30 with a history of maltreatment and 25 with no history of maltreatment. An interview was conducted with the child’s legal guardian and instruments were administered: Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS). The following clinical instruments were administered to the children: JVQ, Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC), and Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). Children underwent neuropsychological assessment. Data were analyzed by comparing the groups for clinical and cognitive variables. Differences were found between the groups in all executive functions. Most clinical symptomatology scales showed differences between the groups. Few associations were found between clinical and executive impairment profiles. Cognitive stimulation interventions, focused on inhibitory control, should be proposed in combination with psychotherapy.