Visual Perceptual Skills in Very Preterm Children: Developmental Course and Associations With Neural Activation

Pediatr Neurol. 2020 Aug:109:72-78. doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2020.04.012. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to examine how nonverbal skills at age five years relate to visual perception and brain activation during visual perception tasks at age 12 years in very preterm subjects without visual or other neurodevelopmental impairments or major brain pathologies.

Methods: At age five years, 36 prematurely born (birth weight ≤1500 g or gestational age less than 32 weeks) and 31 term-born control children were assessed with the nonverbal subtests of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised and the NEPSY-Second Edition. At age 12 years the same children were re-assessed with tasks from the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test, Third Edition, during functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Results: Test performance at age five years was significantly poorer in the very preterm group than the control subjects, but at age 12 years performance was similar in both groups. In the very preterm group, better nonverbal skills at age five years were significantly associated with stronger neural activation during the visual perception task at age 12 years. No associations between nonverbal skills at age five years and brain activation at age 12 years appeared in the control group.

Conclusions: The associations between better nonverbal skills and stronger neural activation during visual perception task only observed in the very preterm group may reflect delayed development of the visual perception network and/or prematurity-related neural plasticity. The developmental follow-up of very preterm children should include psychological assessment of nonverbal skills at least until age five years.

Keywords: Developmental follow-up; Prematurity; Visual perception; fMRI.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain / growth & development
  • Brain / physiopathology*
  • Child
  • Child Development / physiology*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Developmental Disabilities / diagnostic imaging
  • Developmental Disabilities / etiology
  • Developmental Disabilities / physiopathology*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Infant, Extremely Premature / physiology*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Nerve Net / diagnostic imaging
  • Nerve Net / growth & development
  • Nerve Net / physiopathology*
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology*
  • Visual Perception / physiology*
  • Wechsler Scales