DEFICITS IN SHORT-TERM-MEMORY IN ADULT SURVIVORS OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE

Exposure to stress has been associated with alterations in memory func tion, and we have previously shown deficits in short-term verbal memor y in patients with a history of exposure to the stress of combat and t he diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Few studies of a ny kind have focused on adult survivors of childhood physical and sexu al abuse. The purpose of this study was to investigate short-term memo ry function in adult survivors of childhood abuse, Adult survivors of severe childhood physical and sexual abuse (n = 21), as defined by spe cific criteria derived from the Early Trauma Inventory (ETI), who were presenting for psychiatric treatment were compared with healthy subje cts (n = 20) matched for several variables including age, alcohol abus e, and years of education, All subjects were assessed with the Wechsle r Memory Scale (WMS) Logical (verbal memory) and Figural (visual memor y) components, the Verbal and Visual Selective Reminding Tests (SRT), and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R). Adult surv ivors of childhood abuse had significantly lower scores on the WMS Log ical component for immediate and delayed recall in comparison to norma l subjects, with no difference in visual memory, as measured by the WM S or the SRT, or IQ, as measured by the WAIS-R. Deficits in verbal mem ory, as measured by the WMS, were associated with the severity of abus e, as measured by a composite score on the ETI, Our findings suggest t hat childhood physical and sexual abuse is associated with long-term d eficits in verbal short-term memory; These findings of specific defici ts in verbal (and not visual) memory, with no change in IQ, are simila r to the pattern of deficits that we have previously found in patients with combat-related PTSD.