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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Beyond protective factors and normal IQ in preterm children: More executive disorders than expected

Olivier Cadeau1, Jean-Baptiste Muller1,2,3, Amanda Guerra1

  • 1LPPL, SFR Confluences, Univ Angers, Nantes Université, Angers, France.

Journal of Neuropsychology
|July 18, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Preterm children face high risks for executive function (EF) difficulties, impacting daily life. Higher parental education can be protective against these executive function disorders.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Executive functions (EF) are crucial for cognitive and behavioral regulation.
  • Preterm children exhibit increased vulnerability to EF impairments, with previous research yielding inconsistent findings due to methodological limitations.
  • Understanding the prevalence and predictors of EF disorders in preterm populations is essential for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To implement a theory-guided, integrative assessment of executive functions in preterm children.
  • To investigate the prevalence of executive function disorders in preterm children.
  • To examine the influence of perinatal and sociodemographic factors on executive function disorders.

Main Methods:

  • A quasi-experimental study involving 56 preterm children (28-34 weeks' gestation, aged 7-9).
  • Multidimensional EF assessment using the Child Executive Functions Battery (CEF-B) and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF) (parent and teacher versions).
  • EF disorder defined by congruent impairments on both CEF-B and BRIEF, relative to French norms (≥90th percentile).

Main Results:

  • Executive function disorder identified in 30.4% of preterm children, despite a high average IQ (107).
  • High prevalence of specific EF difficulties (inhibition, working memory, flexibility, planning) on CEF-B (19.6%-51.8%) and in daily life via BRIEF (parents 23.2%, teachers 16.4%).
  • Higher paternal education (OR: 6.73) and parental education (OR: 8.22) were protective factors; perinatal variables and income showed no significant impact.

Conclusions:

  • Preterm children are at significant risk for executive function difficulties, affecting both performance-based and daily-life measures.
  • Integrative EF assessment highlights the pervasive nature of these challenges.
  • Parental educational background is a key sociodemographic factor influencing EF disorder risk, underscoring the need for tailored support and awareness programs for high-risk preterm children.

Keywords:
early brain vulnerabilityexecutive disorderexecutive dysfunctionneurodevelopmental disordersneuropsychologypreterm birth

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