TRAINING NEEDS AND EDUCATION FOR DEMENTIA CARE IN CHINA: THE PERSPECTIVES OF MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS

WTC exposure was associated with poorer cognitive function, but this association was attenuated upon adjustment for PTSD. Analyses revealed that having current PTSD was associated with slower reaction time and processing speed as well as poorer working memory and cognitive throughput. In subdomain analyses, associations were concentrated amongst those who reported re-experiencing symptoms in the years immediately following the WTC disaster (in all cases, standardized effect sizes ranged from 0.85–1.20 SDs and p<1.2E-04). Traumatized individuals are increasingly believed to be at higher risk of cognitive impairment and incident dementia. Results from this study support existing studies, showing that intrusive stress influences a broad range of cognitive functions absent traumatic head injuries. Future studies should utilize brain imaging to examine the extent to which neurodegeneration may explain these associations.