Adverse Childhood Experiences Are Linked to Age of Onset and Reading Recognition in Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) exert a psychological and physiological toll that increases risk of chronic conditions, poorer social functioning, and cognitive impairment in adulthood. Objective: To investigate the relationship between childhood adversity and clinical disease features in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Sixty-seven participants with MS completed the ACE assessment and neuropsychological assessments as part of a larger clinical trial of cognitive remediation. Results: Adverse childhood experience scores, a measure of exposure to adverse events in childhood, significantly predicted age of MS onset (r = -0.30, p = 0.04). ACEs were also linked to reading recognition (a proxy for premorbid IQ) (r = -0.25, p = 0.04). ACE scores were not related to age, current disability, or current level of cognitive impairment measured by the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Conclusion: Childhood adversity may increase the likelihood of earlier age of onset and poorer estimated premorbid IQ in MS.