Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 6, 2026

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
14:43

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

13.5K

Visual Perception and Fine Motor Skills Mediate Effects of Very Preterm Birth on Visual-Motor Integration

Anne-Kathrin Dathe1,2,3, Julia Jaekel4,5, Thomas Hoehn6

  • 1Department of Paediatrics I, Neonatology, Paediatric Intensive Care and Paediatric Neurology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|February 4, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Very preterm birth impacts visual-motor integration, with fine motor skills and visual perception partially mediating these effects. This understanding is crucial for early screening and intervention in at-risk children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Neuroscience
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Very preterm birth (gestational age < 32 weeks) is associated with developmental challenges.
  • The specific developmental pathways leading to visual-motor difficulties in these children are not fully understood.
  • Early identification and intervention are critical for improving outcomes in very preterm infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mediating roles of visual perception and fine motor skills in the relationship between very preterm birth and visual-motor integration.
  • To elucidate the developmental profile underlying visual-motor challenges in very preterm children before school entry.
  • To provide evidence for targeted screening and follow-up strategies.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 60 very preterm children and 60 term-born controls were assessed at 5-6 years of age.
  • Standardized assessments included the Movement Assessment Battery for Children and the Developmental Test of Visual Perception.
  • Mediation analysis was employed to examine direct and indirect effects using SPSS.

Main Results:

  • Very preterm birth was significantly associated with lower visual-motor integration, fine motor skills, and visual perception.
  • Fine motor skills and visual perception were positively correlated with visual-motor integration.
  • The negative impact of very preterm birth on visual-motor integration was partially explained by deficits in fine motor skills and visual perception.

Conclusions:

  • The findings confirm that deficits in fine motor skills and visual perception partially mediate the effects of very preterm birth on visual-motor integration.
  • This developmental profile highlights the importance of assessing both visual perception and fine motor skills in very preterm children.
  • The results support the integration of these assessments into routine screening and follow-up protocols for this population.
Abstract

Keywords:
developmental profilefine motorpreterm childrenvisual perceptionvisual‐motor skills

More Related Videos

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another05:12

Using Virtual Reality to Transfer Motor Skill Knowledge from One Hand to Another

Published on: September 18, 2017

548.8K
Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior09:49

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

Published on: April 16, 2014

26.9K

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.
62.0K
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...
8.2K
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...
3.8K
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.
6.3K
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...
4.5K
Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins01:32

Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins

Eukaryotic cells have different motor proteins for transporting various cargo within the cell. These motor proteins differ based on the filament they associate with, the direction they move within the cell, and the type of cargo they transport. Motor proteins that associate with microtubules are known as microtubule-associated motor proteins. There are two families of microtubule-associated motor proteins —Kinesins and Dyneins. Both these proteins assist in the transport of cellular...
10.7K