Adverse childhood experiences negatively impact sustained attention in adulthood.

Eicca Berentz, Christian Wienke, Tino Zaehle

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Article in Discover mental health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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3 authors.

Eicca Berentz *Institute of Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.

Christian Wienke *Institute of Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.

Tino ZaehleInstitute of Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany. tino.zaehle@med.ovgu.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACE) have been linked to reduced cognitive functioning in adulthood. This cross-sectional online study refines this picture by including emotional and physical domains of childhood trauma.

methodsA total of 262 individuals completed the German version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) to operationalize ACE. Sustained attention was measured using the gradual onset Continuous Performance Task (gradCPT). Multivariate linear regressions modeled sustained attention parameters (d', RT, RTCoV, criterion) based on total CTQ score and emotional / physical subscores.

resultsHigher CTQ Total Scores predicted lower discrimination performance (d') and increased reaction time variability (RTCoV). No significant effects were found for the emotional and physical trauma subscores.

conclusionThese findings suggest lasting, negative ACE effects on sustained attention in adulthood. Additionally, the fully online design proved to be a reliable method for detecting subtle variations in sustained attention.

Indexed as

ACEAdverse childhood experiencesChildhood traumaGradCPTGradual onset continuous performance taskSustained attention

Identifiers

PMID41533212

DOI10.1007/s44192-025-00362-8

PMCPMC12946550

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