Abstract

BORGES, Jeane Lessinger  and  DELLAGLIO, Débora Dalbosco. Cognitive functions and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in girls victims of sexual abuse. Aletheia [online]. 2009, n.29, pp. 88-102. ISSN 1413-0394.

This study investigated the manifestation of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and evaluated cognitive functions (attention, declarative verbal memory, and cognitive flexibility/executive function) in a group of girl’s victims of sexual abuse (CSA), comparing them with Control Group. For this study, 12 girls victims of sexual abuse (Case Group) and 16 girls without histories of sexual abuse (Control Group) were interviewed. A clinical assessment (by Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged-Children and CDI) and a brief neuropsychological assessment (by D2 Concentrated Attention Test; sub-test Digit - WISC III; Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test; and Trail Making Test - Part A and B) were carried out. Results indicated in the Case Group larger number of errors and larger oscillation amplitude of the concentrated visual attention, moreover 66,6% of the girls presented PTSD, confirming association between CSA and PTSD.

Keywords : Sexual abuse; Post-traumatic stress; Cognitive functions.

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