Schedule of Events | Symposia

Positive Childhood Experiences Support Cognition and Counteract Behavior and Emotion Problems During Early Adolescence

Poster Session D - Monday, March 31, 2025, 8:00 – 10:00 am EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Nicole Logan¹ (nicolelogan@uri.edu), William Lewis-de los Angeles^2,3; ¹University of Rhode Island, ²Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, ³Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital

Objective: This study aimed to identify the independent effects of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) on early adolescents' brain health (cognitive function, behavioral and emotional problems). Methods: Data from the two-year follow-up visit from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study were analyzed (N = 5449, mean age: 12.0 ± 0.7, age range = 10.6-13.4 years). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were measured by parent report at baseline, and PCEs were measured by parent report at the 2-year follow-up. Dependent variables included cognitive function domains (NIH Toolbox) and the child behavior checklist (CBCL) subscales at year two. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed for each dependent variable, with the number of PCEs and ACEs as independent variables, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, puberty stage, and family income. Results: PCEs were associated with better cognitive function on tasks of picture vocabulary (b=0.29, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.43), flanker (b=0.14, 0.00 to 0.28), reading recognition (b=0.19, CI 0.08 to 0.31), and picture sequence memory (b=0.44, CI 0.21 to 0.67). The PCEs-ACEs interaction showed that increased PCEs reduced the effect of ACEs on the CBCL subscales: anxious-depressed (b=-0.06, -0.10 to -0.01), withdrawn (b=-0.06, -0.09 to -0.04), aggressive behavior (b=-0.11, -0.17 to -0.06), rule-breaking behaviors (b=-0.06, -0.09 to -0.04), social problems (b=-0.04, -0.07 to -0.01), somatic complaints (b=-0.03, -0.06 to 0.00), and total CBCL problems (b=-0.46, -0.69 to -0.23). Conclusions: Exposure to PCEs supports cognition and is protective against psychopathology, even among children exposed to ACEs.

Topic Area: EMOTION & SOCIAL: Development & aging