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Executive dysfunction in poor readers born prematurely at high risk

Richard E Frye1, Susan H Landry, Paul R Swank

  • 1Division of Child and Adolescent Neurology and The Children's Learning Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. Richard.E.Frye@uth.tmc.edu

Developmental Neuropsychology
|May 14, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Children born preterm did not show poorer reading skills. However, poor reading ability was linked to lower cognitive and language skills, especially in high-risk preterm infants with executive function challenges.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Preterm birth can impact neurodevelopmental outcomes.
  • Reading ability is a key indicator of cognitive development.
  • The relationship between preterm birth, reading, and executive functions requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between preterm birth and reading ability.
  • To determine if preterm infants with poor reading skills exhibit lower cognitive and executive functioning.
  • To compare these outcomes with term-born children with poor reading ability.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of term (N=97) and preterm (N=156) infants across 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades.
  • Utilized Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement (WJWA), Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, and executive function tasks.
  • Preterm infants categorized into low (N=94) and high (N=62) risk groups based on neonatal complications.

Main Results:

  • Preterm infants were not disproportionately represented in the poor reading group.
  • Poorer reading ability correlated with lower language and cognitive scores.
  • High-risk preterm infants with poor reading showed deficits in executive function tasks.

Conclusions:

  • Reading ability is associated with neuropsychological function, irrespective of prematurity.
  • Prematurity itself showed weaker associations with cognitive and language scores than reading ability.
  • Executive function deficits are particularly pronounced in high-risk preterm children with reading difficulties.

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