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Disrupted visual attention relates to cognitive development in infants with Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Jannath Begum-Ali1, Luke Mason2, Tony Charman3

  • 1Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Henry Wellcome Building, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet Street, London, UK. jannath.begum.ali@bbk.ac.uk.

Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
|March 15, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Infants with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) show early attention differences, specifically in visual foraging and saccadic reaction times, which may impact learning. These findings highlight potential early markers for cognitive development in NF1.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental neuroscience
  • Pediatric neurology
  • Cognitive psychology

Background:

  • Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is a genetic disorder linked to cognitive and developmental issues, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
  • Early attention differences are observed in children with NF1, but their developmental trajectory and relation to broader learning difficulties remain unclear.
  • Longitudinal studies from infancy are crucial to map the relationship between visual attention and cognitive development in NF1.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the early development of visual attention in infants with NF1.
  • To examine the relationship between attention, specifically exogenous and endogenous visual attention, and cognitive development over time.
  • To compare attention development in infants with NF1 to typical infants and those with a family history of ASD/ADHD.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 28 infants with NF1 at 5, 10, and 14 months.
  • Comparison with control groups: 29 typical likelihood infants and 123 infants with a family history of ASD/ADHD.
  • Utilized an eyetracking battery to assess exogenous and endogenous control of visual attention.

Main Results:

  • Infants with NF1 exhibited normal social orienting but delayed endogenous visual foraging, showing prolonged focus on stimuli.
  • NF1 infants had faster saccadic reaction times (exogenous attention) than typical infants, but slower developmental improvement from 5 to 14 months.
  • Individual differences in attention measures correlated with visual reception abilities across all infant groups.

Conclusions:

  • Alterations in saccadic reaction time and visual foraging are preliminary indicators potentially contributing to learning difficulties in infants with NF1.
  • Early identification of attention differences may inform interventions for cognitive development in NF1.
  • This research underscores the importance of early visual attention assessment in managing developmental outcomes for infants with NF1.
Abstract

Keywords:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorderAutism spectrum disorderEye trackingLongitudinalNeurofibromatosis Type 1Visual attention

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