Infant Roots of Later Cognition

描述(由申请人提供)：婴儿认知研究中的一个基本问题涉及婴儿能力对成熟智力的影响。这一建议的目的之一是考察从婴儿期开始的核心认知能力，即记忆、处理速度、注意力和表征能力持续存在的可能性，并为以后的智力和成就提供基础。第二个目标是研究高危出生(早产儿)在多大程度上表现出这些核心认知能力的缺陷，不仅是在婴儿期，而且是在儿童时期，以及早期缺陷对以后结果的影响。此外，还将针对执行功能的三个重叠但截然不同的方面对儿童的早产缺陷进行检查，这是一个在婴儿期没有研究过的认知领域。为了解决这些问题，我们将在11岁和13岁时对一大批(N=203)足月和早产儿(&lt；1750克出生体重)进行跟踪调查，这些人最初在5个月、7个月和12个月时进行测试，并在2岁和3岁时进行测试，以衡量发育状况(Bayley MDI)。婴儿测试包括来自相同四个领域的一大组测试。11岁和13岁的组合将包括来自相同领域的大量任务，以及对更广泛结果的测量，包括智力、阅读和数学成绩以及语言能力。这些结果将填补以下方面的重要知识空白：(1)从婴儿期到儿童后期核心能力的连续性，(2)婴儿能力形成后来结果的根源的可能性，(3)特定认知缺陷在早产儿中的持久性(以及“追赶”和“睡眠效应”)，(4)婴儿和童年特定缺陷在解释更广泛结果中的作用，以及(5)将核心能力与更广泛结果联系起来的途径。识别早期的先天缺陷对于干预、评估和补救，以及理解婴儿大脑的本质有着深远的意义。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A fundamental issue in research on infant cognition concerns the consequences of infant abilities for mature intellect. One goal of this proposal is to examine the possibility that core cognitive abilities from infancy, namely, memory, speed of processing, attention, and representation competence persist, and provide the foundation for later intelligence and achievement. A second goal is to examine the extent to which children born at risk (preterms) show deficits in these core cognitive abilities, not only in infancy, but childhood, and the import of early deficits for later outcome. Preterm deficits in childhood will also be examined for three overlapping but distinct aspects of executive function, a cognitive domain not studied in infancy. To address these issues we will follow-up, at ages 11 and 13 years, a large cohort (N = 203) of full-terms and preterms (<1750 g birthweight) that were originally tested at 5, 7, and 12 months, and seen at 2 and 3 years to gauge developmental standing (Bayley MDI). The infant tests consisted of a large battery of measures from the same four domains. The battery at 11 and 13 years will include a large number of tasks from the same domains, along with measures of broader outcome, including intelligence, achievement in reading and mathematics, and verbal ability. The results will fill important gaps in knowledge about (1) continuity in core abilities from infancy to later childhood, (2) the possibility that infant abilities form the roots of later outcome, (3) the persistence of specific cognitive deficits in preterms (as well as 'catch-up' and 'sleeper effects'), (4) the role of specific deficits from infancy and childhood in accounting for broader outcomes, and (5) the pathways relating core abilities to broader outcomes. Identifying early antecedents of later deficits has profound implications for intervention, assessment, and remediation, as well as for understanding the nature of the infant mind.