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Auditory attention processing in 5-year-old children born preterm: evidence from event-related potentials
R Dupin1, J P Laurent, J E Stauder
1INSERM 316, Médecine Néonatale, Hôpital de Clocheville, Tours, France.
Insights
Children born preterm may struggle with active attention tasks. Research shows preterm children had lower accuracy and efficiency in an auditory detection task compared to full-term peers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Children born preterm often face developmental challenges.
- Maintaining active attention is crucial for cognitive development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if children born preterm exhibit difficulties in active attention.
- To compare the attentional performance of preterm and full-term children.
Main Methods:
- Auditory oddball paradigm with passive and active tasks.
- Behavioral measures (accuracy, reaction time) and electrophysiological measures (event-related potentials/ERPs).
- Comparison between 20 preterm and 20 full-term 5-year-olds matched for age and IQ.
Main Results:
- No significant group differences in the passive attention task.
- Preterm children showed significantly poorer performance in the active attention task.
- Electrophysiological data indicated less efficient attentional strategies in the preterm group.
Conclusions:
- Children born preterm may have specific deficits in active attention.
- Early attention difficulties in preterm infants could impact later cognitive development.
- Further research is needed to understand the neural underpinnings of attention in preterm populations.
Abstract:
The assumption that children born preterm have difficulties in maintaining active attention was tested in passive and active tasks. Twenty 5-year-old children born preterm at 26 to 32 weeks gestational age were compared with 20 children born at term, matched for age and IQ, using an auditory paradigm. In the passive task participants had to watch a videotape of a cartoon and ignore auditory stimuli. In the active task they had to detect a rare tone (the 'target' tone; 10% of the tones presented) among frequent tones (the 'standard' tone; 90%). Accuracy and reaction time were analysed, and event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded at the scalp sites Fz, Cz, T3, T4, Pz, Oz, and two electrodes for the left mastoid (passive task); and Fz, F7, F8, Cz, T3, T4, Pz, and Oz (for the active task). Behavioural and electrophysiological data were analysed with repeated-measure ANOVAs. The results showed a significant group effect only on the active task. The preterm group scored fewer correct hits (correct detection of target tone) and were less efficient in their attentional strategy as assessed by ERP components.