Processing speed in the 1st year of life: a longitudinal study of preterm and full-term infants

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Neonatal Neuroscience
• Infant Cognitive Development

Background:

• Preterm birth is associated with potential long-term neurodevelopmental challenges.
• Previous research indicates processing speed deficits in older preterm children.
• Early identification of cognitive differences in infants is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate processing speed in preterm infants during the first year of life.
• To compare processing speed between preterm and full-term infants.
• To explore the relationship between medical risk and processing speed in preterm infants.

Main Methods:

• Processing speed was assessed at 5, 7, and 12 months in full-term and preterm infants (birth-weight < 1,750 g).
• A novel visual task measured novelty preference, requiring infants to distinguish between changing and constant stimuli.
• The number of trials and time to reach a consistent novelty preference served as measures of processing speed.

Main Results:

• Preterm infants consistently required approximately 20% more trials and 30% more time to reach the criterion compared to full-term infants.
• Among preterm infants, increased medical risk (e.g., respiratory distress syndrome) correlated with slower processing speed.
• Developmental trajectories for processing speed and attention were similar across both groups, despite the initial differences.

Conclusions:

• Processing speed deficits are evident in preterm infants as early as the first year of life.
• These early differences suggest that the cognitive challenges seen in older preterm children originate in infancy.
• Medical risk factors during preterm infancy are associated with slower cognitive processing.