Visuospatial perception in children born preterm with no major neurological disorders

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Preterm birth is associated with various neurodevelopmental challenges.
• Visuospatial perception deficits are frequently reported in preterm children.
• The specificity of these visuospatial deficits remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if preterm-born children exhibit specific deficits in visuospatial perception.
• To differentiate visuospatial deficits from other functional impairments common in preterm infants.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-six preterm children (gestational age <34 weeks) and 51 full-term controls (ages 7-11) completed computerized visuospatial tasks.
• Task accuracy and response speed were measured, with formats minimizing attentional demands.
• Intelligence and parental education were assessed and included in analyses.

Main Results:

• Preterm children demonstrated significantly poorer accuracy and/or speed on all visuospatial tasks.
• Performance differences were not explained by speed-accuracy trade-offs.
• Lower IQ and parental education in preterm children positively correlated with performance, with IQ mediating the effect on complex tasks.

Conclusions:

• Children born preterm exhibit poorer visuospatial perception compared to full-term peers.
• Preterm birth independently contributed to visuospatial deficits across most tasks.
• Lower IQ and parental education exacerbate visuospatial challenges in preterm populations, indicating multiple disadvantages.