Childhood Adversity and Brain Health in Older Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Hayes-Larson Eleanor, Ikesu Ryo, Inoue Kosuke, Gilsanz Paola, Whitmer Rachel, Glymour M Maria, Mungas Dan, Mayeda Elizabeth Rose
Primary Institution: USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
Hypothesis
How does childhood adversity affect late-life brain health?
Conclusion
Exposure to at least median childhood adversity is linked to higher brain white matter hyperintensity volume in older adults.
Supporting Evidence
- Individuals with higher childhood adversity had a higher log units of WMH after covariate adjustment.
- Older individuals were more likely to have lower estimated CATEs.
- The study used a novel causal forest approach to analyze the data.
Takeaway
If kids have tough times growing up, it might affect their brain health when they get older.
Methodology
Used causal forest analysis with augmented inverse probability weighting and 10-fold cross-validation on harmonized data.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to the small sample size and reliance on self-reported data.
Limitations
This is preliminary work in a relatively small sample.
Participant Demographics
Participants included older adults with varying demographics, including age and childhood socioeconomic status.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.02
Confidence Interval
95% CI -0.06, 0.35
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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