Polgar-Wiseman Izabella, Francesconi Marta, Flouri Eirini
Department of Psychology and Human Development, Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK.
Br J Dev Psychol. 2025 Mar 23. doi: 10.1111/bjdp.12557.
This study examined whether the experience of stressors since infancy is related to executive function and social communication in late childhood via inflammation, using data from 4457 participants of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). It explored whether the effect of stressful life events (from 6 months to 8.5 years) on working memory, response inhibition, selective attention, attentional control, communication problems and social cognition (at ages 10-11 years) was mediated by inflammation (interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein) at age 9 years. While the study did not find evidence for mediation, it showed that, in the general child population, inflammation was related to executive function impairments, and stressful life events were related to social communication difficulties. These associations were small but robust to confounder adjustment. If causal, they suggest that reducing inflammation could improve executive functioning, the prerequisite to any purposeful and goal-directed action.
本研究利用雅芳亲子纵向研究（ALSPAC）中4457名参与者的数据，探讨自婴儿期以来的应激源经历是否通过炎症反应与童年晚期的执行功能和社会沟通相关。该研究探究了6个月至8.5岁期间生活应激事件对10至11岁时的工作记忆、反应抑制、选择性注意、注意力控制、沟通问题及社会认知的影响是否由9岁时的炎症反应（白细胞介素6和C反应蛋白）介导。虽然该研究未找到中介效应的证据，但研究表明，在一般儿童群体中，炎症反应与执行功能受损有关，生活应激事件与社会沟通困难有关。这些关联虽小，但在对混杂因素进行调整后依然稳健。如果存在因果关系，这表明减轻炎症反应可能会改善执行功能，而执行功能是任何有目的、有目标导向行动的前提条件。
