Abstract

BARRERA-VALENCIA, Mauricio; CALDERON-DELGADO, Liliana  and  AGUIRRE-ACEVEDO, Daniel Camilo. Changes in Cognitive Performance in a Sample of Children and Teens with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Resulting from the Armed Conflict in Colombia. CES Psicol [online]. 2017, vol.10, n.2, pp.50-65. ISSN 2011-3080.  https://doi.org/10.21615/cesp.10.2.4.

The aim of this study was to compare the cognitive functioning profile between a sample of children and adolescences with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) derived from the arm conflict in Colombia and a control group. This study compared neuropsychological test results from a group of 50 children, 25 of them victims of an associated armed conflict situation with PTSD and 25 from the same geographical zone, without a record of going through such situation. The groups were matched by age, sex, socioeconomic status and education level. A battery of tests that assessed attention, memory and executive function was conducted. The results indicate that children with PTSD evidence a neuropsychological profile characterized by difficulties in the processes of visual attention in relation to verbal and nonverbal materials, logical memory disorders, with ability to perform verbal learning activities and notorious incidence in executive functioning. Assessment indicates changes that imply inhibitory control, poor ability to monitor the behavior, and difficulties in task that involve cognitive flexibility. Based on these scores, it is proposed a profile of cognitive functioning in children and adolescents with PTSD that could be useful to conduct more accurate assessment and clinical interventions within the framework of the Colombian post conflict process.

Keywords : Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; PTSD; Neuropsychological Assessment; Attention; Memory; Executive Function; Cognitive Ability.

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