Minor neurological dysfunction in five year old very preterm children is associated with lower processing speed

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Minor neurological dysfunction (MND) affects 25-33% of very preterm (VP) infants.
• Complex (c)-MND is linked to learning, behavioral, and motor impairments in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between c-MND and neurocognitive/motor disabilities at age five in VP children without cerebral palsy (CP).

Main Methods:

• Assessed 94 VP children (gestational age <30 weeks and/or birth weight <1000g) at corrected age five.
• Classified MND using Touwen criteria; measured intelligence (WPPSI-III-NL), processing speed, attention, visuomotor coordination (Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks), working memory (Digit Span Task), and motor skills (M-ABC2).

Main Results:

• 19% of VP children had abnormal neurological findings (c-MND or mild CP).
• The abnormal group exhibited significantly lower processing speed quotient (PSQ), poorer motor skills (M-ABC2 percentile), and slower simple reaction time.
• No significant differences were found in IQ, working memory, attention, or visuomotor coordination.

Conclusions:

• VP children with c-MND demonstrate reduced processing speed, slower reaction times, and impaired motor skills compared to peers without c-MND.
• Identifying c-MND through neurological examination aids in detecting VP children at risk for neurocognitive disabilities.