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Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Neonatal cerebral abnormalities and later verbal and visuospatial working memory abilities of children born very

Caron A C Clark1, Lianne J Woodward

  • 1Canterbury Child Development Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Canterbury, New Zealand. cclark4@unl.edu

Developmental Neuropsychology
|November 2, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Very preterm children often show deficits in verbal and visuospatial working memory. Early brain abnormalities, particularly in visuospatial skills, are linked to these cognitive challenges in preterm infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Preterm birth is a significant risk factor for neurodevelopmental challenges.
  • Working memory deficits can impact academic and daily functioning.
  • Understanding the specific cognitive vulnerabilities in preterm children is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate working memory performance in very preterm children compared to full-term controls.
  • To explore the relationship between early cerebral abnormalities and working memory outcomes.
  • To identify specific patterns of cognitive impairment associated with preterm birth.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, longitudinal study design.
  • Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at term equivalent age.
  • Assessment of verbal (Digit Span) and visuospatial (Corsi Blocks) working memory at 6 years corrected age.

Main Results:

  • Very preterm children exhibited poorer verbal and visuospatial working memory than full-term controls.
  • Preterm children without cerebral abnormalities performed similarly to full-term children.
  • Verbal impairments were associated with moderate-severe cerebral abnormalities; visuospatial difficulties were linked to mild and moderate-severe abnormalities.

Conclusions:

  • Very preterm children are vulnerable to visuospatial working memory impairments.
  • Early neurological disturbances play a role in the development of these cognitive difficulties.
  • Targeted interventions may be beneficial for preterm infants with identified neurological differences.

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