Pilot Associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Executive Function, and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) among Adults with Excess Adiposity

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may predict markers of neurocognitive performance (i.e., executive function; EF) and brain health/plasticity (i.e., brain-derived neurotrophic factor; BDNF). This pilot examined: (1) ACES history and current EF performance, (2) ACEs history and current BDNF levels, and (3) current EF performance and BDNF levels. We hypothesized that higher ACEs would be associated with lower EF scores and that these patterns would be associated with serum BDNF levels. Given the pilot nature of the study, emphasis was placed on effect size vs. significance. Participants were 37 middle-aged women. Higher ACEs were not directly associated with EF scores (β = 0.08, p = 0.635) but showed potentially meaningful negative beta coefficients with proBDNF levels (β = −0.22, p = 0.200) and positive coefficients with mature BDNF (β = 0.28, p = 0.094). EF scores and proBDNF showed a positive relationship that did not reach significance (r = 0.28, p = 0.100) similar to EF scores and mature BDNF (r = 0.14, p = 0.406). In a modest pilot sample of middle-aged women with excess weight, higher ACEs were potentially associated with lower proBDNF and higher mature BDNF. Larger follow-up studies are warranted given the size of the detected coefficients and theoretical implications of ACEs and obesity as neurocognitively toxic for brain health and performance.