Fine Motor Skill Mediates Visual Memory Ability with Microstructural Neuro-correlates in Cerebellar Peduncles in
Alyssa R Thomas1, Cheryl Lacadie2, Betty Vohr3
1Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Insights
Preterm adolescents without brain injury show deficits in visual memory and fine motor skills, linked to white matter differences in the cerebellum. Interventions targeting these skills may improve academic outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Preterm (PT) adolescents without neonatal brain injury often exhibit deficits in visual memory and fine motor skills, impacting academic performance.
- The relationship between these neurodevelopmental deficits and white matter microstructure in PT individuals is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between white matter microstructure and deficits in visual memory and fine motor skills in adolescents born preterm.
- To explore potential mediation effects of fine motor skills on visual memory and visual-motor integration in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 190 preterm adolescents and 92 term-born controls (age 16) were assessed using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF), Beery Visual-Motor Integration (VMI), and Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT).
- Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) was performed on a subset (40 PTs, 40 controls) to analyze white matter microstructure using fractional anisotropy (FA).
Main Results:
- Preterm adolescents performed significantly worse than controls on ROCF, VMI, and GPT.
- Fine motor skills (GPT performance) significantly mediated the differences between PTs and controls in ROCF and VMI.
- FA in the middle cerebellar peduncles correlated negatively with GPT scores in PTs, and FA in the superior cerebellar peduncle correlated with ROCF scores.
- A positive correlation was observed between VMI scores and FA in the left middle cerebellar peduncle in PTs.
Conclusions:
- Fine motor skill deficits in preterm adolescents are linked to specific white matter alterations in the cerebellum.
- Targeting fine motor skills and cerebellar function may offer novel strategies to enhance the academic potential of preterm individuals.
Abstract:
Adolescents born preterm (PT) with no evidence of neonatal brain injury are at risk of deficits in visual memory and fine motor skills that diminish academic performance. The association between these deficits and white matter microstructure is relatively unexplored. We studied 190 PTs with no brain injury and 92 term controls at age 16 years. The Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF), the Beery visual-motor integration (VMI), and the Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT) were collected for all participants, while a subset (40 PTs and 40 terms) underwent diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. PTs performed more poorly than terms on ROCF, VMI, and GPT (all P < 0.01). Mediation analysis showed fine motor skill (GPT score) significantly mediates group difference in ROCF and VMI (all P < 0.001). PTs showed a negative correlation (P < 0.05, corrected) between fractional anisotropy (FA) in the bilateral middle cerebellar peduncles and GPT score, with higher FA correlating to lower (faster task completion) GPT scores, and between FA in the right superior cerebellar peduncle and ROCF scores. PTs also had a positive correlation (P < 0.05, corrected) between VMI and left middle cerebellar peduncle FA. Novel strategies to target fine motor skills and the cerebellum may help PTs reach their full academic potential.
