Memory and Executive Functioning in 12-Year-Old Children With a History of Institutional Rearing.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial cohort
PubMed 28898388 · doi:10.1111/cdev.12952
What was done
Visual recognition memory and executive functioning (spatial working memory, spatial planning, rule learning, and attention shifting) were assessed at age 12 in 150 participants from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a randomized controlled trial of foster care for institutionally reared children.
What was found
Children with a history of institutional rearing showed significant deficits in visual recognition memory, spatial working memory, attention shifting, and rule learning at age 12. The abstract reports no numerical values, group-specific scores, or effect sizes.
Why it matters
This study shows that severe early institutional neglect continues to affect memory, learning, and executive functioning into preadolescence, clarifying persistent cognitive vulnerabilities.
Limits
The abstract provides no numerical metrics, p-values, or effect sizes. It does not report outcomes broken down by the randomized intervention groups (foster care versus care-as-usual) or compare them with community controls.