Older adults who lived through multiple adverse experiences before age 18 may face a higher chance of developing dementia later in life, according to a new systematic review and meta‑analysis. Pooling nine studies from the UK, France, the U.S., China and Spain (283,108 participants in total), the authors found that people with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) had about 35% higher odds of dementia in later life. Evidence for a link with mild cognitive impairment was inconclusive.  

What counts as an ACE?

In this review, ACEs included events such as abuse or neglect; witnessing violence at home; parental death; or growing up with a parent who had mental illness, substance use, or incarceration. Participants were followed into older age (≥60), and dementia was identified using validated tools or medical records.  

How the study was done

Researchers followed PRISMA guidelines and registered their protocol in advance. They screened four major databases through December 2023, assessed study quality (Newcastle–Ottawa Scale), and graded the certainty of evidence (GRADE). The final analysis combined results using a random‑effects model to account for differences among studies. A PRISMA flow chart in Figure 1 shows how nine studies made the cut after screening 1,376 records.    

Key findings

• Dementia: Exposure to ACEs was associated with higher odds of dementia (pooled estimate ~1.35). A subgroup analysis suggested childhood maltreatment was a particularly important driver of risk.  
• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI): The association with MCI was not statistically significant in the pooled data.  

Important caveats

The authors caution that the overall certainty of the evidence was low to very low, mainly because only nine studies met the criteria and methods varied across them. Larger, high‑quality longitudinal studies are needed to confirm and clarify the strength of the association and which kinds of early adversity matter most.  

Why this matters

If future research confirms these findings, preventing and addressing childhood adversity could become a long‑range strategy to reduce dementia risk decades later. The authors argue that recognizing and supporting children who experience adversity—and providing trauma‑informed care—may help protect cognitive health across the lifespan.  

Study at a glance

• What: Systematic review & meta‑analysis on ACEs and late‑life cognition
• Where published: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology (2025)
• Who: 9 studies; 283,108 participants; five countries
• Headline result: ACEs ↗ dementia odds (~35%); MCI link unclear
• Takeaway: Promising signal, but stronger, diverse studies are needed.  

Source: Abouelmagd, M. E., AbdelMeseh, M., Elrosasy, A., Eldeeb, H. A., & Nabil, Y. (2025). Adverse childhood experiences and risk of late-life dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 60(5), 1087–1098. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-024-02676-4

Editor’s note: This article is for information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.