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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Impact of prenatal cocaine exposure on attention and response inhibition as assessed by continuous performance tests
Veronica H Accornero1, Alfred J Amado, Connie E Morrow
1Department of Pediatrics, Perinatal CARE Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA. vaccornero@med.miami.edu
Insights
Prenatal cocaine exposure is linked to lasting attention deficits in children. This includes slower reaction times and inconsistent performance on cognitive tasks up to age seven.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Prenatal exposure to substances like cocaine can impact child development.
- Attention and response inhibition are critical cognitive functions that may be affected.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on children's attention and response inhibition.
- To assess these cognitive functions at ages 5 and 7 years using Continuous Performance Tests (CPTs).
Main Methods:
- A prospective longitudinal study (Miami Prenatal Cocaine Study) followed children from birth.
- A subsample of 415 children (cocaine-exposed and non-exposed) completed CPTs at ages 5 and/or 7.
- Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze attention and response inhibition deficits in relation to prenatal cocaine exposure.
Main Results:
- Children with prenatal cocaine exposure showed increased omission errors at ages 5 and 7.
- Slower reaction times and decreased performance consistency were observed at age 7.
- No significant deficits in commission errors were found, and results remained consistent after covariate adjustments.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal cocaine exposure is associated with persistent deficits in attention processing.
- These attention deficits are evident through age 7 years.
Objective:
This study examined the influence of prenatal cocaine exposure on attention and response inhibition measured by continuous performance tests (CPTs) at ages 5 and 7 years.
Methods:
The baseline sample consisted of 253 cocaine-exposed and 223 non-cocaine-exposed children enrolled prospectively at birth and assessed comprehensively through age 7 years in the longitudinal Miami Prenatal Cocaine Study. This report includes a subsample of 415 children (219 cocaine-exposed, 196 non-cocaine-exposed) who completed at least one CPT assessment at ages 5 and/or 7 years. Prenatal cocaine exposure was measured by maternal self-report and maternal and infant bioassays. Deficits in attention and response inhibition are estimated in relation to prenatal cocaine exposure using generalized estimating equations within the general linear model.
Results:
Results indicate cocaine-associated increases in omission errors at ages 5 and 7 as well as increases in response times for target tasks (i.e., slower reaction times) and decreased consistency in performance at age 7. There were no demonstrable cocaine-associated deficits in commission errors. Estimates did not change markedly with statistical adjustment for selected prenatal and postnatal covariates.
Conclusion:
Evidence supports cocaine-associated deficits in attention processing through age 7 years.
