University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Child Dev. 2013 Sep-Oct;84(5):1566-78. doi: 10.1111/cdev.12069. Epub 2013 Mar 10.
Cognitive deficits have been reported in children who experienced early neglect, especially children raised in institutionalized settings. Previous research suggests that early neglect may differentially affect the directional organization of white matter in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). This may be one mechanism to explain cognitive deficits associated with neglect. To test this idea, properties of white matter and neurocognitive performance were assessed in children who suffered early neglect and those raised in typical environments (n = 63, Mage = 11.75 years). As predicted, prefrontal white matter microstructure was affected, consistent with more diffuse organization, in children that suffered early neglect and this was related to neurocognitive deficits. Such findings underscore how early adversity may affect the PFC and explain cognitive deficits associated with neglect.
认知缺陷在经历早期忽视的儿童中已有报道,尤其是在机构化环境中成长的儿童。先前的研究表明,早期忽视可能会对前额叶皮层(PFC)的白质的定向组织产生不同的影响。这可能是解释与忽视相关的认知缺陷的一种机制。为了验证这一观点,研究人员评估了经历早期忽视和在典型环境中成长的儿童的白质性质和神经认知表现(n=63,平均年龄=11.75 岁)。正如预测的那样,经历早期忽视的儿童的前额叶白质微观结构受到影响,表现出更弥散的组织,这与神经认知缺陷有关。这些发现强调了早期逆境如何影响 PFC 并解释与忽视相关的认知缺陷。