The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review

Abstract

BackgroundAlzheimer's disease is a global health concern, and with no present cure, prevention is critical. Exposure to adverse childhood experiences may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. This systematic review was conducted to synthesize the evidence on the associations between adverse childhood experiences (<18 years) and the risk of Alzheimer's disease in adulthood.MethodsA search strategy was developed and conducted to identify articles investigating the associations between exposure to adverse childhood experiences and the onset of Alzheimer's disease by searching key databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE and PsycInfo). Two reviewers independently determined the eligibility of studies according to pre-determined criteria, and assessed the methodological quality using the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute 14-item checklist for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies, respectively. Due to limited studies, a descriptive synthesis was performed. The protocol for this review is published in BMJ Open and registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020191439).ResultsOur search yielded 781 articles, of which three (two separate analyses from the same cohort study and one cross-sectional study) met the predetermined eligibility criteria. The methodological quality assessment yielded an overall mean score of 78.9% (range 66.6 – 84.6%). All studies found adverse childhood experiences were associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. However, there was a limited number of available studies to inform the synthesis.ConclusionsAdverse childhood experiences appear to be associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, although, further research is needed.Registration and ProtocolThe protocol for this review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020191439) and published with BMJ Open (Corney et al., 2021).

Effect modifications of BMI transition and trajectory in the associations of adverse childhood experiences with new-onset dementia and its subtypes in older US adults

“…According to a recent meta-analysis, only three studies have investigated the associations between ACEs and AD, of which two were conducted in the USA. 33 The two US studies, however, were limited due to their inadequacy of ACE types and lack of nationally representative data for the USA. 34 35 Furthermore, few researchers have investigated the associations between ACEs and other dementias.…”

“… 45 Mental disorders and unhealthy lifestyles associated with increased dementia risk are common consequences of ACEs and obesity and may also play a role in our findings. 33 However, the associations of ACEs with AD and other dementias vary widely, underscoring the importance of more comprehensive dementia-specific studies in the future.…”

Association of adverse childhood experiences with adulthood multiple sclerosis: A systematic review of observational studies

“…ACEs also alter glucocorticoid signaling and the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis function, leading to a chronic inflammatory state (Wan et al., 2022). Owing to these functional and structural changes in the brain, ACEs are associated with other neurological disorders, including dementia, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, memory impairment, and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Corney et al., 2022; Ortiz et al., 2022; Roberts et al., 2022).…”

Editorial: Early indicators of cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease, and related dementias captured by neurophysiological tools

“…As an accelerated cue, traditional diagnostic trajectories for dementia are often initiated with standardized cognitive assessments like the Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Wolf and Ueda, 2021 ; López-Cuenca et al, 2022 ; Whelan et al, 2022 ); yet their limited sensitivity to subtle cognitive impairments has become increasingly pronounced. Furthermore, the influence of pandemic-related lockdowns and lockdown-like measures during conflicts on dementia diagnosis rates cannot be overlooked (Bick and Nelson, 2016 ; Brown et al, 2020 ; Tani et al, 2020 ; Ismail et al, 2021 ; Corney et al, 2022 ; Górski et al, 2022 ). The global disruptions trigger a significant decline in individuals seeking treatment for dementia-related symptoms, resulting in dementia diagnoses falling below anticipated levels (Axenhus et al, 2022 ; Hazan et al, 2023 ).…”