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Deficits in vision and visual attention associated with motor performance of very preterm/very low birth weight
Christiaan J A Geldof1, Janeline W P van Hus2, Martine Jeukens-Visser2
1Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorstraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Royal Dutch Visio, Centre of Expertise for Blind and Partially Sighted People, Hettenheuvelweg 41-43, 1101 BM Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Motor skills in very preterm/very low birth weight children are moderately linked to neurological status but weakly to visual deficits. This suggests long-term vulnerability after preterm birth impacts motor development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Very preterm (VP) and very low birth weight (VLBW) children often exhibit impaired motor functioning.
- Understanding the factors contributing to motor deficits in this population is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between motor functioning and visual attention, visual, and visual-motor functioning in VP/VLBW children.
- To identify the relative contributions of visual and neurological factors to motor impairments.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive assessment of 106 5.5-year-old VP/VLBW children included motor skills (MABC-2), visual attention, vision, visual-motor integration, and neurological status.
- Stepwise linear regression analyses were used to determine associations between various functional domains and motor outcomes.
Main Results:
- 23-36% of VP/VLBW children showed abnormal motor functioning.
- Visual and visual-motor functioning explained 9-11% of the variance in motor scores.
- Abnormal neurological status accounted for a significant portion (19-30%) of the variance in motor scores.
Conclusions:
- Motor functioning in VP/VLBW children is moderately associated with neurological status and weakly with visual deficits.
- Visual deficits appear to be of minor importance in understanding motor functioning in this cohort.
- Motor performance reflects long-term vulnerability following very preterm birth.
Aim:
To extend understanding of impaired motor functioning of very preterm (VP)/very low birth weight (VLBW) children by investigating its relationship with visual attention, visual and visual-motor functioning.
Methods:
Motor functioning (Movement Assessment Battery for Children, MABC-2; Manual Dexterity, Aiming & Catching, and Balance component), as well as visual attention (attention network and visual search tests), vision (oculomotor, visual sensory and perceptive functioning), visual-motor integration (Beery Visual Motor Integration), and neurological status (Touwen examination) were comprehensively assessed in a sample of 106 5.5-year-old VP/VLBW children. Stepwise linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate multivariate associations between deficits in visual attention, oculomotor, visual sensory, perceptive and visual-motor integration functioning, abnormal neurological status, neonatal risk factors, and MABC-2 scores.
Results:
Abnormal MABC-2 Total or component scores occurred in 23-36% of VP/VLBW children. Visual and visual-motor functioning accounted for 9-11% of variance in MABC-2 Total, Manual Dexterity and Balance scores. Visual perceptive deficits only were associated with Aiming & Catching. Abnormal neurological status accounted for an additional 19-30% of variance in MABC-2 Total, Manual Dexterity and Balance scores, and 5% of variance in Aiming & Catching, and neonatal risk factors for 3-6% of variance in MABC-2 Total, Manual Dexterity and Balance scores.
Conclusion:
Motor functioning is weakly associated with visual and visual-motor integration deficits and moderately associated with abnormal neurological status, indicating that motor performance reflects long term vulnerability following very preterm birth, and that visual deficits are of minor importance in understanding motor functioning of VP/VLBW children.
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