Motor skills and working memory capacity in preadolescents born very preterm

To investigate the association of very preterm birth with visuospatial working memory in preadolescents and its mediation via motor skills and a neural index of working memory capacity.

Case-control matching based on sex and age resulted in 53 participants born before 32 weeks of gestation and 53 participants (24 males, 29 females) born at term. All participants performed a change detection task that assessed working memory capacity from their k-score. The contralateral delay activity (CDA) elicited by the task was recorded using electroencephalography. Additionally, participants completed the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (MABC-2).

Participants born very preterm showed lower k-scores on the change detection task, lower negativity of the CDA as well as lower manual dexterity and balance on the MABC-2. Based on structural equation modelling with bias-corrected bootstrapping, poor motor skills fully mediated the association of very preterm birth with lower k-scores. Similarly, very preterm birth had an indirect effect on CDA via motor skills.

Children born very preterm face difficulties in maintaining visuospatial information because of a lower working memory capacity compared to peers born at term. Given the mediating role of motor skills, poor balance and manual dexterity in particular might serve as predictors of increased risk for prolonged impairments.