Social cognition in individuals born preterm.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Effective social interaction relies heavily on facial cues.
• COVID-19 mask mandates may exacerbate social signal difficulties, particularly for those with neurodevelopmental conditions.
• Social participation is crucial for the quality of life in individuals born preterm.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate face processing abilities in individuals born preterm with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL).
• To compare face tuning in this population with typically developing controls and individuals with autistic spectrum disorders.
• To determine if face processing deficits are domain-specific.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a novel experimental tool featuring Face-n-Food images, inspired by Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
• Assessed face sensitivity in adolescents (aged 12.79 ± 1.89 years) born preterm with PVL.
• Compared face tuning performance against control groups.

Main Results:

• Individuals born preterm with PVL demonstrated significant impairments in face tuning.
• These deficits were observed in comparison to both typically developing individuals and those with autistic spectrum disorders.
• Face sensitivity deficits were not correlated with other cognitive abilities, indicating domain specificity.

Conclusions:

• Preterm birth sequelae, specifically PVL, significantly impact social functioning through deficient face processing.
• These findings highlight the domain-specific nature of face processing deficits in this population.
• The study offers insights into the origins of impaired face perception in various neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions.