Childhood maltreatment alters associations between age and neurocognitive health metrics in community-dwelling adults

To further understand whether childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with indicators of accelerated cognitive aging, this study investigated whether CM moderated the relationship of age with gray matter volume (GMV) and executive functions among community adults aged 21-55. Participants (N = 225) underwent MRI scanning, and a composite measure of executive functions was computed across measures of inhibitory control, switching, and working memory. To interpret interactions, we created high (66th percentile) and low (33rd percentile) CM exposure groups and examined age-related variance in GMV and executive functions in each group. Vertex-wise cortical analysis revealed CM by age interactions in two right prefrontal cortex clusters [rostral middle frontal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus], where age negatively correlated with GMV at low CM (ps < 0.001), but this effect weakened at high CM (ps = 0.095-0.436). Further, a multivariate analysis of five subcortical regions revealed a CM-by-age interaction (p = 0.007), whereby age correlated negatively with GMV at high, but not low, CM. Finally, CM moderated the association between age and an executive functioning composite (p = 0.027), with age correlating more negatively with executive functions in individuals reporting high than low CM. Together, these cross-sectional findings suggest CM may influence age-related neurocognitive changes.