Reaction times, learning, and executive functioning in adults born preterm.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Preterm birth is a significant risk factor for brain development.
• Cognitive outcomes in adults born preterm vary depending on gestational age and birth weight.
• Understanding long-term cognitive function in preterm populations is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare cognitive functioning in adults born at different ranges of prematurity (early, late) and with varying birth weights (appropriate for gestational age, small for gestational age [SGA]) against full-term controls.
• To identify specific subgroups of preterm-born individuals who may experience persistent cognitive deficits into adulthood.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the ESTER Preterm Birth Study, including 133 early preterm, 241 late preterm, and 348 full-term participants without severe disabilities.
• Administered the Cogstate® test battery to assess various cognitive domains including learning, memory, executive function, attention, and emotional cognition.
• Employed linear regression models, adjusting for prenatal and postnatal factors and socioeconomic status, to analyze cognitive performance differences.

Main Results:

• Overall, early preterm, late preterm, and full-term participants demonstrated comparable cognitive abilities across most subtests.
• A notable exception was the Groton Maze Learning Test, where early preterm participants showed weaker spatial memory efficiency (0.6 fewer moves/10s).
• Late preterm and SGA participants exhibited significantly weaker spatial memory efficiency compared to full-term controls (1.3 fewer moves/10s).

Conclusions:

• Adults born across the spectrum of prematurity, on average, do not exhibit major cognitive deficits.
• Cognitive impairments in adulthood appear primarily associated with being born very preterm or preterm with SGA.
• These findings suggest that while preterm birth poses risks, many individuals can achieve comparable cognitive function to term-born peers, particularly with supportive environments.