Jangid Reema, Seema Naga, Arun Gourab, Barre Vijaya Prasad, Walia Dakshi, Rana Suvashisa
Centre for Psychology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Department of General Medicine, IMS and SUM Hospital, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
Ann Neurosci. 2025 Jul 31:09727531251359413. doi: 10.1177/09727531251359413.
The issue of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has received critical attention in understanding the complexity of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Despite growing empirical support demonstrating the role of ACEs in neurodevelopment, there is little research on their distinct role in the onset, severity, and progression of NDDs, specifically attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and cognitive impairments.
The goal of this systematic review is to critically summarise the existing research on the relationship between ACEs and NDDs, assess current knowledge about their interdependency, identify the gaps in the literature, and suggest future direction and clinical application. Based on the PECO and PRISMA frameworks, we have systematically searched four electronic databases-ScienceDirect, Web of Science, EBSCO, and PubMed. Thirty-two studies that meet the inclusion criteria are further evaluated for quality using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) parameters. Most studies fall in the moderate-to-high quality range. The review critically evaluates the interplay between ACEs and three types of specific NDDs-ADHD, ASD, and cognitive impairments. The findings provide strong empirical confirmation of the consistent bidirectional, cyclical, and dose-response association between the ACEs and NDDs.
Shedding a contemporary light on recent evidence, this study focuses on important gaps in the existing literature pertaining to the association of ACEs and NDDs across the developmental trajectory of the individual. There are several promising areas for further study involving high-quality research (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods) to investigate the dynamic and complex interplay between ACEs and NDDs and to design appropriate interventions.
童年不良经历（ACEs）问题在理解神经发育障碍（NDDs）的复杂性方面受到了关键关注。尽管越来越多的实证支持表明ACEs在神经发育中起作用，但关于它们在NDDs的发病、严重程度和进展中的独特作用的研究很少，特别是注意缺陷/多动障碍（ADHD）、自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）和认知障碍。
本系统综述的目的是批判性地总结关于ACEs与NDDs之间关系的现有研究，评估关于它们相互依存关系的现有知识，确定文献中的空白，并提出未来的方向和临床应用。基于PECO和PRISMA框架，我们系统地搜索了四个电子数据库——ScienceDirect、Web of Science、EBSCO和PubMed。使用医学教育研究质量工具（MERSQI）和批判性评估技能计划（CASP）参数，对符合纳入标准的32项研究进行质量进一步评估。大多数研究属于中高质量范围。该综述批判性地评估了ACEs与三种特定NDDs（ADHD、ASD和认知障碍）之间的相互作用。研究结果为ACEs与NDDs之间一致的双向、循环和剂量反应关联提供了有力的实证证实。
本研究以当代视角审视最新证据，聚焦于现有文献中关于ACEs与NDDs在个体发育轨迹上关联的重要空白。有几个有前景的进一步研究领域，涉及高质量研究（定量、定性和混合方法），以调查ACEs与NDDs之间动态且复杂的相互作用，并设计适当的干预措施。
