Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior
09:49

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Published on: April 16, 2014

26.8K

Ophthalmological outcomes, visual perception, fine motor precision, and visual-motor integration in children born

Martin Johansson1, Eva Larsson2, Gerd Holmström2

  • 1Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Sweden.

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
|January 24, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Subnormal vision in very preterm children at 2.5 and 6.5 years is linked to poorer visual-motor integration (VMI), visual perception, and fine motor skills at age 12. This highlights the impact of early ophthalmological function on neurodevelopment.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Ophthalmology

Background:

  • Preterm birth (<32 weeks gestation) poses risks for neurodevelopmental outcomes.
  • Ophthalmological function is crucial for developing visual perception and motor skills.
  • Longitudinal data on the interplay between early vision and later neurodevelopment in very preterm infants is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the longitudinal associations between ophthalmological status and the development of visual perception, fine motor precision, and visual-motor integration (VMI) in children born very preterm.
  • To compare these associations with those in term-born controls.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective longitudinal cohort study of 113 very preterm children and term-born controls.
  • Ophthalmological assessments (visual acuity, stereopsis, strabismus) at 2.5, 6.5, and 12 years.
  • Neurodevelopmental assessments (VMI, visual perception, fine motor precision) at 6.5 and 12 years using the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration.

Main Results:

  • Subnormal visual acuity at 2.5 years correlated with poorer VMI and fine motor skills at 12 years in preterm children.
  • Ophthalmological issues (subnormal acuity, strabismus, stereopsis) at 6.5 years were associated with poorer VMI, visuo-perceptual, and fine motor performance at 12 years.
  • These associations were not observed in term-born controls.

Conclusions:

  • Early ophthalmological deficits in very preterm children predict poorer visual-motor and fine motor development later in childhood.
  • The quality of visual input significantly influences the development of visual-motor abilities in this population.
  • Findings offer insights into the relationship between ophthalmological function and neurodevelopmental trajectories following preterm birth.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Measurements of Motor Function and Other Clinical Outcome Parameters in Ambulant Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy09:18

Measurements of Motor Function and Other Clinical Outcome Parameters in Ambulant Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Published on: January 12, 2019

10.8K
Visualization of the Axonal Projection Pattern of Embryonic Motor Neurons in Drosophila11:56

Visualization of the Axonal Projection Pattern of Embryonic Motor Neurons in Drosophila

Published on: June 16, 2017

8.2K

Related Concept Videos

Motor Units00:46

Motor Units

A motor unit consists of two main components: a single efferent motor neuron (i.e., a neuron that carries impulses away from the central nervous system) and all of the muscle fibers it innervates. The motor neuron may innervate multiple muscle fibers, which are single cells, but only one motor neuron innervates a single muscle fiber.
61.8K
Motor Units01:13

Motor Units

The motor unit is a fundamental component of the neuromuscular system and plays a crucial role in coordinating muscle contractions. It consists of a somatic motor neuron, which connects and controls multiple skeletal muscle fibers, forming a single functional segment. The axon of the motor neuron branches out and establishes synaptic connections known as neuromuscular junctions with individual muscle fibers within the motor unit.
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...
7.6K
Motor Unit Stimulation01:20

Motor Unit Stimulation

When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
3.6K
Hierarchy of Motor Control01:18

Hierarchy of Motor Control

The hierarchy of motor control refers to the different levels of organization and processing involved in controlling movement in the body. These levels range from higher cortical areas involved in planning and decision-making to lower spinal cord reflexes that respond automatically to external stimuli.
6.1K
Direct Motor Pathways01:11

Direct Motor Pathways

The direct motor pathways, also known as the pyramidal tracts, are a group of neural pathways that originate in the brain and descend through the spinal cord. They control the voluntary movement of the body. There are two major direct motor pathways: the corticospinal and the corticobulbar tracts.
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and...
4.3K
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
7.2K