Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Long-term deficits of preterm birth: evidence for arousal and attentional disturbances
R Whit Hall1, Tiffany Wallace Huitt, Richa Thapa
1Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology & Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA. Hallrichardw@uams.edu
Insights
Ex-preterm adolescents show distinct deficits in attention and frontal lobe function compared to ex-term peers. These quantitative measures can help optimize therapies for arousal and attention dysregulation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Preterm birth can impact neurodevelopment, potentially leading to long-term cognitive deficits.
- Understanding these deficits is crucial for targeted interventions and support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively compare pre-attentional, attentional, and frontal lobe processes in ex-preterm versus ex-term adolescents.
- To identify objective measures for assessing neurodevelopmental differences in ex-preterm individuals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized P50 auditory potential, Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), reaction time (RT) tests, and Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS).
- Compared 43 ex-preterm adolescents with 26 ex-term adolescents.
Main Results:
- Ex-preterm adolescents exhibited a trimodal P50 amplitude distribution and longer reaction times.
- Increased PVT lapses were observed in ex-preterm subjects, inversely correlating with P50 amplitude.
- NIRS showed a trend correlating with P50 amplitude in the ex-preterm group.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest differential pre-attentional, attentional, and frontal lobe dysfunction in ex-preterm adolescents.
- These quantitative measures may aid in objectively assessing arousal and attention dysregulation, optimizing therapeutic strategies.
Objective:
Quantitative measures of pre-attentional, attentional and frontal lobe processes were compared to evaluate quantitative measures of these deficits in Ex-Preterm vs. Ex-Term adolescents.
Methods:
We compared 43 Ex-Preterm with 26 Ex-Term adolescents using the P50 auditory potential, the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), a reaction time (RT) test, and Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS).
Results:
The mean amplitude (+/-SE) of the P50 amplitude was similar in the Ex-Preterm (1.8+/-1.4 microV) vs. Ex-Term adolescents (1.8+/-0.6 microV, df = 68, F = 0.05, p = 0.8), but the Ex-Preterm group showed a trimodal distribution in amplitude (High, 3.3+/-0.4 microV, df=42.25, F=19.2, p < 0.01; Medium, 1.7+/-0.1 microV, df = 39, F = 0.41, p = 0.53; Low, 0.7+/-0.1 microV, df = 40, F = 49.5, p < 0.01) suggested by statistically significant variance between populations (Kolmogorov-Kuiper test, df = 42.25, F = 5.4, p < 0.01). Mean RT was longer in Ex-Preterm (250+/-8 ms) vs. Ex-Term subjects (200+/-5 ms, df = 68, F = 18.8, p < 0.001). PVT lapses were increased in Ex-Preterm subjects, and varied inversely with P50 amplitude (Overall Mean 17+/-5 lapses, df = 67, F = 5.34, p < 0.05; Low P50 amplitude, 25+/-10, df = 40, F = 8.8, p < 0.01; Medium, 21+/-11, df = 38, F = 5.37, p < 0.05; High, 6+/-2, df = 39, F = 6.78, p < 0.01) vs. Ex-Term subjects (2+/-0.4 lapses, p < 0.01). NIRS levels did not differ statistically, but tended to correlate with P50 amplitude in the Ex-Preterm group.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest differential pre-attentional, attentional and frontal lobe dysfunction in Ex-Preterm adolescents.
Significance:
These measures could provide a means to objectively assess differential dysregulation of arousal and attention in Ex-Preterm adolescents, allowing optimization of therapeutic designs.
