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Motor skills and working memory capacity in preadolescents born very preterm
Sebastian Ludyga1, Markus Gerber1, Martina Studer2
1Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Insights
Very preterm birth is linked to lower visuospatial working memory in children, with motor skill deficits fully explaining this association. Poor dexterity and balance may predict long-term challenges for these children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Very preterm birth can impact neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- Visuospatial working memory is crucial for cognitive development.
- Motor skills and neural activity are potential mediators of cognitive function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between very preterm birth and visuospatial working memory in preadolescents.
- To investigate the mediating roles of motor skills and neural working memory capacity.
- To identify potential predictors of cognitive impairments in very preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study matched 53 very preterm infants with 53 term-born infants.
- Visuospatial working memory was assessed using a change detection task (k-score).
- Neural activity (contralateral delay activity - CDA) and motor skills (MABC-2) were measured.
Main Results:
- Very preterm infants exhibited lower k-scores, reduced CDA negativity, and poorer motor skills (manual dexterity, balance).
- Poor motor skills fully mediated the association between very preterm birth and lower working memory capacity (k-score).
- Motor skills also indirectly influenced the neural index of working memory (CDA) in very preterm infants.
Conclusions:
- Children born very preterm have diminished visuospatial information maintenance due to lower working memory capacity.
- Motor impairments, specifically poor balance and manual dexterity, may predict sustained functional difficulties.
- Early identification of motor deficits could help anticipate and manage cognitive challenges in very preterm children.
Aim:
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.
Method:
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).
Results:
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.
Interpretation:
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.
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