Associations between early life adversity and executive function in children adopted internationally from orphanages.

摘要: Executive function (EF) abilities are increasingly recognized as an important protective factor for children experiencing adversity, promoting better stress and emotion regulation well social academic adjustment. We provide evidence that early life adversity is associated with significant reductions in EF performance on a developmentally sensitive battery of laboratory tasks measured cognitive flexibility, working memory, inhibitory control. Animal models also suggest has negative impact the development prefrontal cortex-based functions. In this study, we report 1 y after adoption 2.5- to 4-y-old who had experienced institutional care orphanages overseas compared group age-matched nonadopted children. To our knowledge, youngest age soonest reduced been shown using measures population. were above beyond differences intelligence quotient. Within adopted sample, current was deprivation controlling quotient, less time spent birth family before placement institution lower quality physical/social institutions predicting poorer battery.