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Effects of gestational age at birth on cognitive performance: a function of cognitive workload demands

Julia Jaekel1, Nicole Baumann, Dieter Wolke

  • 1Department of Developmental Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.

Plos One
|May 30, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Cognitive performance in preterm children declines with increasing task difficulty. This effect is more pronounced in very preterm infants, highlighting the impact of gestational age on cognitive workload capacity.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Preterm birth is associated with cognitive deficits, particularly in very preterm infants.
  • Cognitive performance variations in preterm children are not fully understood in relation to task demands.
  • Gestational age is a critical factor influencing neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between cognitive workload demands and cognitive performance in children born preterm.
  • To examine how gestational age influences cognitive performance under varying cognitive loads.
  • To explore the role of early biological factors in cognitive outcomes related to preterm birth.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, population-based study of neonatal at-risk children.
  • Cognitive assessment at 8.5 years using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) and a Mathematics Test.
  • Inclusion of 1326 children with a gestational age range from 23 to 41 weeks.

Main Results:

  • Cognitive scores decreased as task cognitive workload increased for preterm children.
  • The relationship between gestational age and task workload was curvilinear and significant across all workload levels (p<0.001).
  • Very preterm (<32 weeks) and moderately preterm (32-33 weeks) children showed disproportionally lower scores on high-demand tasks.

Conclusions:

  • The cognitive workload model can explain inconsistencies in the literature regarding gestational age and cognitive performance.
  • Findings have implications for cognitive follow-up, educational interventions, and research on neuroplasticity after preterm birth.
  • Early biological factors like gestation significantly predict cognitive performance, especially under high cognitive load.
Abstract

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