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Brain Damage and Visuospatial Impairments: Exploring Early Structure-Function Associations in Children Born Very
Maud M van Gils1, Jeroen Dudink2, Irwin K M Reiss3
1Vestibular and Oculomotor Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Insights
Early brain damage in very preterm infants is linked to delayed visuospatial attention and motion processing at one year. While processing speeds up by two years, abnormal functional performance persists, highlighting the impact of structural brain injury.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Assessing early neurodevelopment in extremely preterm infants is crucial.
- Understanding the link between brain structure and function is key for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between early structural brain damage and functional visuospatial attention and motion processing in very preterm children.
- To evaluate these functions from one to two years corrected age.
Main Methods:
- 112 children born before 32 weeks gestational age underwent MRI scans for brain damage assessment.
- Visuospatial attention and motion processing were evaluated using eye-tracking at one and two years corrected age.
- Standardized MRI scoring and Tobii T60XL eye-tracking system were utilized.
Main Results:
- Moderate to severe brain damage correlated with slower visuospatial reaction times at one year.
- At one year corrected age, 10% of infants had delayed attentional and 23% delayed motion reaction times.
- While reaction times improved by two years, 20% still showed attentional and 35% motion processing delays, with structural damage linked to abnormal function.
Conclusions:
- Moderate to severe brain damage is associated with visuospatial attention and motion processing deficits in very preterm infants at one year.
- This study emphasizes the value of comprehensive MRI scoring and quantitative functional assessments in very preterm children.
- Findings offer insights into neurodevelopmental outcomes and inform early intervention strategies.
Background:
To provide insight into early neurosensory development in children born very preterm, we assessed the association between early structural brain damage and functional visuospatial attention and motion processing from one to two years corrected age.
Methods:
In 112 children born at less than 32 weeks gestational age, we assessed brain damage and growth with a standardized scoring system on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; 1.5 Tesla) scans performed at 29 to 35 weeks gestational age. Of the children with an MRI scan, 82 participated in an eye tracking-based assessment of visuospatial attention and motion processing (Tobii T60XL) at one year corrected age and 59 at two years corrected age.
Results:
MRI scoring showed good intra- and inter-rater reproducibility. At one year, 10% children had delayed attentional reaction times and 23% had delayed motion reaction times. Moderate to severe brain damage significantly correlated with slower visuospatial reaction times. At two years, despite attention and motion reaction times becoming significantly faster, 20% had delayed attentional reaction times and 35% had delayed motion reaction times, but no correlations with MRI scores were found. The presence of structural brain damage was associated with abnormal functional performance over age.
Conclusions:
The present study indicates an association between moderate to severe brain damage and visuospatial attention and motion processing dysfunction at one year corrected age. This provides a new perspective on comprehensive MRI scoring and quantitative functional visuospatial assessments and their applicability in children born very preterm in their first years of life.
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