Executive functions in extremely low birth weight and late-preterm preschoolers: Effects on working memory and response inhibition
Executive functions in extremely low birth weight and late-preterm preschoolers: Effects on working memory and response inhibition
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DOI：
10.1080/09297049.2011.631906
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发表时间：
2012-01-01
影响因子：
2.2
通讯作者：
Litman, Fern R.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Baron, Ida Sue;Kerns, Kimberly A.;Litman, Fern R.
执行功能（EF）是指作为更复杂认知基础的基本能力，并在个人的一生中具有生态相关性。然而，新兴的执行功能很少被研究在年轻的早产儿（3岁），其关键的胎儿发育的最后阶段被他们的早期出生中断。我们对2004年至2006年出生的369名参与者（52名极低体重[ELBW]; 196名晚期早产儿; 121名足月出生）进行了四项新的触摸屏计算机化工作记忆和抑制措施。ELBW在简单和复杂的工作记忆和抑制任务上的表现比term出生的差，在连续性能测试中不完整性能的百分比最高。后一个发现表明发育不成熟和ELBW组的风险最高的早产状态。此外，晚期早产儿参与者的复杂工作记忆的措施，但没有显着差异，从那些术语出生的反应抑制措施相比，足月出生的。这些结果与最近的文献一致，该文献确定了晚期早产儿中通常细微但可检测的神经认知缺陷。我们的研究结果支持发展和标准化的电脑触摸屏的措施，以评估EF亚成分的能力，在形成学前阶段。这些措施可能有助于监测早产儿关键执行功能能力的发展轨迹，并且它们的使用对于及时识别缺陷和应用适当的干预策略是必要的。
Executive function (EF) refers to fundamental capacities that underlie more complex cognition and have ecological relevance across the individual's lifespan. However, emerging executive functions have rarely been studied in young preterm children (age 3) whose critical final stages of fetal development are interrupted by their early birth. We administered four novel touch-screen computerized measures of working memory and inhibition to 369 participants born between 2004 and 2006 (52 Extremely Low BirthWeight [ELBW]; 196 late preterm; 121 term-born). ELBW performed worse than term-born on simple and complex working memory and inhibition tasks and had the highest percentage of incomplete performance on a continuous performance test. The latter finding indicates developmental immaturity and the ELBW group's most at-risk preterm status. Additionally, late-preterm participants performed worse compared with term-born on measures of complex working memory but did not differ from those term-born on response inhibition measures. These results are consistent with a recent literature that identifies often subtle but detectable neurocognitive deficits in late-preterm children. Our results support the development and standardization of computerized touch-screen measures to assess EF subcomponent abilities during the formative preschool period. Such measures may be useful to monitor the developmental trajectory of critical executive function abilities in preterm children, and their use is necessary for timely recognition of deficit and application of appropriate interventional strategies.