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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking
Published on: July 9, 2016
Deficits in the processing of local and global motion in very low birthweight children
T L MacKay1, L S Jakobson, D Ellemberg
1Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 2N2.
Insights
Premature birth impacts visual motion processing in children. Very low birthweight (VLBW) children showed deficits in local and global motion perception, independent of other visual issues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Premature birth is a significant risk factor for developmental challenges.
- Visual processing, including motion perception, can be affected by preterm birth complications.
- Understanding these impacts is crucial for early intervention and support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of premature birth on local and global motion processing in very low birthweight children.
- To determine if deficits in motion processing are linked to specific visual or attentional problems.
- To explore the relationship between prematurity complications and motion processing abilities.
Main Methods:
- Assessed sensitivity to first- and second-order local motion stimuli.
- Measured global motion coherence thresholds using random dot kinematograms.
- Compared performance of very low birthweight children (5-8 years) with full-term controls.
Main Results:
- Premature children demonstrated significant deficits in all measured aspects of motion processing.
- These deficits were not explained by stereo deficits, amblyopia, or attentional problems.
- History of retinopathy of prematurity or intraventricular hemorrhage increased risk, but deficits occurred even without pathology.
Conclusions:
- Premature birth adversely affects the development of motion processing subsystems.
- Motion processing deficits in preterm children are not solely due to other visual impairments.
- Findings highlight the complex impact of prematurity on visual development and suggest distinct neural mechanisms for motion processing.
Abstract:
This study evaluated the impact of premature birth on the development of local and global motion processing in a group of very low birthweight (<1500 g), 5- to 8-year-old children. Sensitivity to first- and second-order local motion stimuli and coherence thresholds for global motion in random dot kinematograms were measured. Relative to full-term controls, premature children showed deficits on all three aspects of motion processing. These problems could not be accounted for by stereo deficits, amblyopia, or attentional problems. A history of mild retinopathy of prematurity and/or intraventricular hemorrhage increased risk, but deficits were observed in some children with no apparent ocular or cerebral pathology. It is important to note that, despite the observed group differences, individual profiles of performance did vary; the results suggest that these three forms of motion processing may involve separate neural mechanisms. These findings serve to increase our understanding of the organization and functional development of motion-processing subsystems in humans, and of the impact of prematurity and associated complications on visual development.
