Dataset Information

Early visual attention in preterm and fullterm infants in relation to cognitive and motor outcomes at school age: an exploratory study.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:Preterm infants are exposed to the visual environment earlier than fullterm infants, but whether early exposure affects later development is unclear. Our aim was to investigate whether the development of visual disengagement capacity during the first 6?months postterm was associated with cognitive and motor outcomes at school age, and whether associations differed between fullterms and low-risk preterms. METHOD:Seventeen fullterms and ten low-risk preterms were tested in a gaze shifting task every 4?weeks until 6?months postterm. The longitudinal data were converted into single continuous variables by fitting the data with an S-shaped curve (frequencies of looks) or an inverse model (latencies of looks). Neuropsychological test results at school age were converted into composite z scores. We then performed linear regression analyses for each functional domain at school age with the variables measuring infant visual attention as separate predictors and adjusting for maternal level of education and group (fullterms versus preterms). We included an interaction term, visual attention*group, to determine whether predictive relations differed between fullterms and preterms. RESULTS:A slower development of disengagement predicted poorer performance on attention, motor skills, and handwriting, irrespective of fullterm or preterm birth. Predictive relationships differed marginally between fullterms and preterms for inhibitory attentional control (P?=?0.054) and comprehensive reading (P?=?0.064). CONCLUSION:This exploratory study yielded no indications of a clear advantage or disadvantage of the extra visual exposure in healthy preterm infants. We tentatively conclude that additional visual exposure does not interfere with the ongoing development of neuronal networks during this vulnerable period of brain development.

SUBMITTER: Hitzert MM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4186265 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Early visual attention in preterm and fullterm infants in relation to cognitive and motor outcomes at school age: an exploratory study.

Hitzert Marrit M MM Van Braeckel Koenraad N J A KN Bos Arend F AF Hunnius Sabine S Geuze Reint H RH

Frontiers in pediatrics 20141006

<h4>Objective</h4>Preterm infants are exposed to the visual environment earlier than fullterm infants, but whether early exposure affects later development is unclear. Our aim was to investigate whether the development of visual disengagement capacity during the first 6 months postterm was associated with cognitive and motor outcomes at school age, and whether associations differed between fullterms and low-risk preterms.<h4>Method</h4>Seventeen fullterms and ten low-risk preterms were tested in ...[more]

PMID: 25340045

Similar Datasets

Project description:OBJECTIVE:Previous research has found that preschoolers with hearing loss have worse visual attention and elevated rates of behavior problems when compared to typically hearing peers (Barker et al., 2009). However, little is known about these deficits in school-age children with cochlear implants (CIs). We evaluated visual selective attention in school-age children with CIs and hearing peers and examined the link between visual attention and behavior problems. METHOD:Data were drawn from the Childhood Development after Cochlear Implantation (CDaCI) study, the largest longitudinal, multi-site study of children with CIs. Visual attention was measured using d prime (d') on a continuous performance test (The Gordon CPT), which requires participants to watch a stream of digits and hit a button after seeing a certain target (a 9 following a 1). The CPT captures the probability of a hit (pressing button for a target) vs a false alarm (pressing the button for a non-target) while accounting for chance responding. In addition, predictors of visual attention, including IQ (using Processing Speed and Perceptional Reasoning on the WISC-IV), age at implantation, gender, and device management were examined. Externalizing problems were assessed using parent-report on the BASC-2. Data were drawn from 60 months post-implantation. RESULTS:Children with CIs (n?=?106) showed significantly worse visual selective attention than hearing peers. The difference in d' was driven by higher rates of false alarms. In the CI group, the Processing Speed Index on the WISC was correlated with total omissions, total commissions and d'. Within the CI group, d' significantly predicted parent-reported externalizing behavior problems. This finding was primarily driven by elevated Hyperactivity in the CI group. CONCLUSION:Children with CIs continue to display deficits in visual attention when compared to their hearing peers. Despite improvements in oral language, these problems have critical implications for academic performance and social competence. Currently, cochlear implant teams do not focus on these other dimensions of development and thus, may not be positioned to address them. Assessment of attention and behavior should be incorporated into routine, annual visits soon after implant surgery, and remediation of these deficits should be included in early intervention programs.

Dataset Information

Early visual attention in preterm and fullterm infants in relation to cognitive and motor outcomes at school age: an exploratory study.

Publications

Early visual attention in preterm and fullterm infants in relation to cognitive and motor outcomes at school age: an exploratory study.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets