Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42052226›Full record

ArticleClinical neuropsychiatry2026

How Psychological Trauma Affects Cognitive Functions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Patrizia Velotti, Guyonne Rogier, Francesca Favieri, Giuseppe Forte, Sara Beomonte Zobel, Stefania Cataudella, Claudia Civilla, Anna Velotti, Margherita Balladori, Andrea Capone and 7 more

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In one paragraph

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

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Patrizia VelottiDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
Guyonne RogierDepartment of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa (Italy).
Francesca FavieriDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
Giuseppe ForteDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
Sara Beomonte ZobelDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
Stefania CataudellaDepartment of Pedagogy, Psychology and Philosophy, University of Cagliari (Italy).
Claudia CivillaDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
Anna VelottiCentro per le Famiglie ASL Naple 1 (Italy).
Margherita BalladoriDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
Andrea CaponeDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
Emanuela SalatiDept of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy).
Martina SalzilloDept of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy).
Micaela Sepe MontiDept of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy).
Marco Toccaceli BlasiDept of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy).
Marco CanevelliDept of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome (Italy).
Maria CasagrandeDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
Giuseppe BrunoDept of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome and Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome (Italy).

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Promising research has investigated the relationships between psychological trauma and cognitive impairments, resulting in deficits of information processing, attention or memory. From a clinical point of view, investigations regarding the potential associations between cognitive outcomes and trauma appear useful to draw informed clinical indications for practitioners. However, the current lack of systematization of the existing literature makes difficult to frame in a comprehensive perspective the results brought by empirical research. Method: PRISMA principles were used to perform a systematic search on MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Scopus and Web of Science databases. Studies were screened and selected using inclusion/exclusion criteria defined in a PICOS format. Results: The initial search identified 75.245 records and led to the final inclusion of 29 independent contributions assessing between-group differences considering differences according to trauma exposure or posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis. After the extraction and codification of information and the computation of effect sizes, a series of meta-analyses were performed using a random effects model. Data confirm a significant impact of psychological trauma on cognitive domains, indicating that individuals who experienced traumas show worse cognitive functioning, particularly in the attention and executive functions domains. Moreover, meta-analyses reported that in the case of posttraumatic stress disorder, there are more cognitive domains impaired, including memory, processing speed, visuospatial processing, and global cognitive functioning. Conclusions: The study confirms a direct association between trauma and cognitive functioning, suggesting the importance of further studies examining the characteristics of the traumatic experience to provide clear clinical guidelines.

Indexed as

cognitive functionmeta-analysispsychological trauma, PTSD

Identifiers

PMID42052226
PMCPMC13116289

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.