Objectives: Previous studies have focused separately on the adverse effects of trauma and
substance use on cognition. Relatively little is known, however, about how trauma and substance
use, which commonly co-occur, may together influence cognition.
Methods: This study examines prevalence ratios for impaired neuropsychological functioning
associated with high levels of childhood trauma, alcohol and/or nicotine exposure in South
African adolescents aged 12 to 15 (N=159) without histories of other substance use or psychiatric
comorbidity.
Results: Using generalized linear modeling to estimate multivariate prevalence ratios, our results
demonstrate that: (1) high levels of overall trauma carried a 1.7-fold increased risk of inferior
planning and problem solving abilities; (2) sexually abused participants were 1.5 times more
likely to have slower psychomotor processing speed; (3) heavy drinkers were at an increased risk
of inferior neuropsychological functioning in verbal functioning (1.5-fold increased risk),
psychomotor processing speed (1.6-fold increased risk), and self-monitoring (1.7-fold increased
risk) and (4) heavy smokers were at an increased risk for inferior neuropsychological
performance in processing speed, and self-monitoring (both 4-fold increased risk).
Conclusions: Relatively high levels of trauma and alcohol/nicotine use in this adolescent sample
had deleterious effects on various domains of cognition