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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
A Method to Quantify Visual Information Processing in Children Using Eye Tracking
Published on: July 9, 2016
Relations between Neurocognitive Function and Visual Acuity: A Cross-Sessional Study in a Cohort of Premature
Chun-Hsien Tu1,2, Wei-Chi Wu3,4, Wei-Chih Chin4,5,6
1Department of Psychiatry, New Taipei Municipal Tucheng Hospital, New Taipei City 236, Taiwan.
Insights
Vision impairments in premature children, particularly those with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), are linked to specific neurocognitive deficits. Better visual acuity correlates with higher cognitive scores, highlighting the importance of vision in development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Premature infants face risks of visual and neurocognitive impairments.
- The specific impact of vision on neurocognition in premature children remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between visual acuity and neurocognitive function in premature children.
- To analyze how retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and its treatments affect cognitive outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational study involving five pediatric groups: full-term, premature without ROP, and premature with ROP (untreated, bevacizumab-treated, laser/laser + bevacizumab-treated).
- Neurocognitive function assessed using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV) around age 4.
- Visual acuity (VA) and refractive errors were measured; correlations between cognitive and visual parameters were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Premature children, especially those with ROP, exhibited lower Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) scores.
- Significant differences in cognitive indices, including fluid reasoning and object assembly, were observed between groups.
- Improved best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was associated with higher scores in verbal comprehension and information subtests.
Conclusions:
- Specific cognitive dysfunctions are associated with BCVA in premature children.
- Prematurity, ROP, and ROP treatment modalities influence WPPSI subtest performance.
- FSIQ is reduced in premature children, with further decreases noted in those with ROP.
Background:
Premature children with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) have been reported to an have increased risk of visual and neurocognitive impairments, yet little is known about whether vision could affect specific neurocognition. This study aimed to clarify the correlations between neurocognition and vision in premature children.
Materials And Methods:
This is a nonrandomized, cross-sectional, observational study in a pediatric cohort with five groups: (1) full-term (n = 25), (2) prematurity without ROP (n = 154), (3) prematurity with ROP but without treatment (n = 39), (4) prematurity with ROP and with bevacizumab (IVB) treatment (n = 62), and (5) prematurity with ROP and with laser/laser + IVB treatment (n = 20). Neurocognitive function was evaluated by the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV) around the age of 4 years. Visual acuity (VA) and refractive errors were tested. Correlations between WPPSI parameters and visual outcomes were analyzed across five groups.
Results:
Among the 300 recruited children (mean age = 4.02 + 0.97 years, male = 56.3%), 297 were assessed by WPPSI-IV and 142 were assessed by vision tests. The Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) index was worse in the premature groups. After adjusting for covariates, seven items, including FSIQ-Index (p = 0.047), fluid-reasoning index (p = 0.004), FR-percentile ranking (p = 0.008), object assembly (p = 0.034), picture concept (p = 0.034), zoo locations (p = 0.014) and bug search (p = 0.020), showed significant differences between groups. The better the best corrected VA (BCVA), the higher the scores on Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), VCI-PR, and the subtest of information.
Conclusions:
Specific cognitive dysfunctions are related to the BCVA in this large cohort. Subtest performance profiles in WPPSI can be affected by prematurity, ROP treatment, and different ROP treatment. FSIQ is generally lower in premature children and even lower in children with ROP.
