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Published on: March 17, 2023
Test of visuospatial construction: Validity evidence in extremely low birth weight and late preterm children at early
G Nicole Rider1, Brandi A Weiss1,2, Adam T McDermott3
1a Department of Pediatrics , Fairfax Neonatal Associates at Inova Children's Hospital , Falls Church , VA , USA.
Insights
Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) children showed poorer visuospatial skills than term peers at age 6. The Test of Visuospatial Construction (TVSC) effectively identifies these differences, aiding early intervention for preterm children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Visuospatial skills are crucial for cognitive development.
- Preterm birth, particularly extremely low birth weight (ELBW), is associated with increased risk of neurodevelopmental challenges.
- Assessing visuospatial abilities in young children requires validated, motor-independent measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the validity of the Test of Visuospatial Construction (TVSC) in assessing visuospatial skills in preschool and kindergarten-aged children.
- To compare visuospatial performance between extremely low birth weight (ELBW), late preterm (LPT), and term-born children.
- To determine if the TVSC can detect differences in visuospatial construction abilities related to birth weight status and track developmental changes.
Main Methods:
- The Test of Visuospatial Construction (TVSC) was administered to 355 preschoolers and 265 kindergartners.
- Participants included extremely low birth weight (ELBW), late preterm (LPT), and term-born children.
- Statistical analyses included correlations with other cognitive tests and one-way ANOVAs to compare group performance at ages 3 and 6.
Main Results:
- The TVSC demonstrated weak-to-moderate correlations with established measures of cognitive and visuospatial abilities.
- At age 3, ELBW children performed significantly worse than term children on the TVSC (p=.044, d=-0.43).
- By age 6, both ELBW and LPT children performed significantly worse than term children, with larger effect sizes observed compared to age 3. Differences between LPT and term children present at age 3 diminished by age 6.
Conclusions:
- The TVSC shows preliminary validity as a measure of visuospatial construction in young children.
- The TVSC can identify neurodevelopmental impairments in visuospatial skills among preterm-born children.
- Findings support the use of the TVSC for early detection and intervention planning in at-risk populations.
Abstract:
The Test of Visuospatial Construction (TVSC), a measure of visuoconstruction that does not rely on upper extremity motor response or written production, was administered to extremely low birth weight (ELBW), late preterm (LPT), and term participants at preschool (n = 355) and kindergarten (n = 265) ages. TVSC showed statistically significant weak-to-moderate positive correlations (age 3: r = .118-.303; age 6: r = .138-.348) with Developmental VMI, Differential Ability Scales-II Copying, Matrices, and Pattern Construction subtests, Baron-Hopkins Board Test, and the Purdue Pegboard. One-way ANOVA indicated ELBW performed worse than Term (p = .044) on visuospatial construction at age 3 with a small-to-medium effect size (d = -0.43). No other statistically significant differences were found at age 3 on the TVSC (ELBW/LPT: p = .608, d = -0.17; LPT/Term: p = .116, d = -0.31). At age 6, ELBW participants performed worse than LPT participants (p = .027) and Term participants (p = .012); LPT participants did not differ from Term participants. Small effect sizes at age 3 (ELBW < LPT, d = -0.17; ELBW < Term, d = -0.43) were notably larger at age 6 (ELBW < LPT, d = -0.42; ELBW < Term, d = -0.53). Important practical differences showing LPT participants performed below Term participants (d = -0.31) at age 3 were no longer evident at age 6 (d = -0.097). These findings provide preliminary evidence of TVSC validity supporting its use to detect neuropsychological impairment and to recommend appropriate interventions in young preterm children.
