Abstract:
Psychosocial stress may affect cognitive (CF) and executive functions (EF). The objective of
this study was to determine the association between stress and CF during adolescence. In this
cross-sectional study on adolescents (n = 162; mean age 11.82 years ± 0.40 SD; 73.5% males), psychosocial adversity was measured by the Adolescent Psychosocial Adversity Questionnaire (APAQ). CF and EF were assessed by the Test of Non Verbal Intelligence (TONI-3), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), visuospatial working memory and stroop inhibitory tasks. Stress was observed in 85% of adolescents. The Perceptual Reasoning Index (b1 -0.180, b2 -0.052, p = 0.091), Processing Speed Index (b2 -0.042, p 0.022) and Estimated Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (b1 -0.072, b2 -0.140, p 0.028) were non-linearly related with stress and reflected an inverted U-shape curve. The results indicate the necessity of a base line level of stress for cognition. Both high and low levels of stress are detrimental to cognition in
adolescents.