Visual Tracking in Very Preterm Infants at 4 Mo Predicts Neurodevelopment at 3 Y of Age

Overview

Journal Pediatr Res

Specialties Biology
Pediatrics

Date 2016 Mar 31

PMID 27027722

Citations 9

Authors

Ylva Fredriksson Kaul

Kerstin Rosander

Claes von Hofsten

Katarina Strand Brodd

Gerd Holmstrom

Alexander Kaul

Birgitta Bohm

Lena Hellstrom-Westas

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Typically developing infants track moving objects with eye and head movements in a smooth and predictive way at 4 mo of age, but this ability is delayed in very preterm infants. We hypothesized that visual tracking ability in very preterm infants predicts later neurodevelopment.

Method: In 67 very preterm infants (gestational age<32 wk), eye and head movements were assessed at 4 mo corrected age while the infant tracked a moving object. Gaze gain, smooth pursuit, head movements, and timing of gaze relative the object were analyzed off line. Results of the five subscales included in the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-III) at 3 y of age were evaluated in relation to the visual tracking data and to perinatal risk factors.

Results: Significant correlations were obtained between gaze gain and cognition, receptive and expressive language, and fine motor function, respectively, also after controlling for gestational age, severe brain damage, retinopathy of prematurity, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Conclusion: This is the first study demonstrating that the basic ability to visually track a moving object at 4 mo robustly predicts neurodevelopment at 3 y of age in children born very preterm.

Citing Articles

Early cognitive assessment in premature infants: the discriminatory value of eye-tracking vs. Bayley Scales.

Kaltsa M, Babacheva E, Fotiadou G, Goutsiou E, Kantziou K, Nicolaidis K Front Psychol. 2024; 15:1384486.

PMID: 38957884 PMC: 11217545. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1384486.

Correlation between Early Visual Functions and Cognitive Outcome in Infants at Risk for Cerebral Palsy or Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Chorna O, Corsi G, Del Secco S, Bancale A, Guzzetta A Children (Basel). 2024; 11(6).

PMID: 38929326 PMC: 11201713. DOI: 10.3390/children11060747.

Visual scanning of social stimuli in preterm and autism spectrum disorder children.

Lederman V, Goulart A, Negrao J, Schwartzman J Rev Paul Pediatr. 2024; 42:e2023017.

PMID: 38716993 PMC: 11073467. DOI: 10.1590/1984-0462/2024/42/2023017.

Vitamin B status in infancy and the effect of a vitamin B injection in infants with subclinical vitamin B deficiency: study protocol for a register-based randomised controlled trial.

Bakken K, Kvestad I, Bjorkevoll S, Solvik B, Kaldenbach S, McCann A BMJ Open. 2023; 13(4):e069102.

PMID: 37080624 PMC: 10124272. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069102.

Development of oculomotor control throughout childhood: A multicenter and multiethnic study.

Pueyo V, Yam J, Perez-Roche T, Balasanyan V, Ortin M, Garcia G J Vis. 2022; 22(13):4.

PMID: 36458960 PMC: 9728493. DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.13.4.

References

Rommelse N, Van der Stigchel S, Sergeant J . A review on eye movement studies in childhood and adolescent psychiatry. Brain Cogn. 2008; 68(3):391-414. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2008.08.025. View

Ment L, Bada H, Barnes P, Grant P, Hirtz D, Papile L . Practice parameter: neuroimaging of the neonate: report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society. Neurology. 2002; 58(12):1726-38. DOI: 10.1212/wnl.58.12.1726. View

von Hofsten C . Action, the foundation for cognitive development. Scand J Psychol. 2009; 50(6):617-23. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2009.00780.x. View

Luna B, Velanova K, Geier C . Development of eye-movement control. Brain Cogn. 2008; 68(3):293-308. PMC: 2731686. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2008.08.019. View

Mansson J, Stjernqvist K . Children born extremely preterm show significant lower cognitive, language and motor function levels compared with children born at term, as measured by the Bayley-III at 2.5 years. Acta Paediatr. 2014; 103(5):504-11. DOI: 10.1111/apa.12585. View

von Hofsten C, Ronnqvist L . Preparation for grasping an object: a developmental study. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1988; 14(4):610-21. DOI: 10.1037//0096-1523.14.4.610. View

Wattam-Bell J, Birtles D, Nystrom P, von Hofsten C, Rosander K, Anker S . Reorganization of global form and motion processing during human visual development. Curr Biol. 2010; 20(5):411-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.12.020. View

Fazzi E, Bova S, Giovenzana A, Signorini S, Uggetti C, Bianchi P . Cognitive visual dysfunctions in preterm children with periventricular leukomalacia. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2009; 51(12):974-81. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03272.x. View

Rosander K . Visual tracking and its relationship to cortical development. Prog Brain Res. 2007; 164:105-22. DOI: 10.1016/S0079-6123(07)64006-0. View

10.

Strand Brodd K, Gronqvist H, Holmstrom G, Gronqvist E, Rosander K, Ewald U . Development of smooth pursuit eye movements in very preterm born infants: 3. Association with perinatal risk factors. Acta Paediatr. 2011; 101(2):164-71. DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2011.02449.x. View

11.

Gronqvist H, Strand Brodd K, Rosander K . Development of smooth pursuit eye movements in very prematurely born infants: 2. The low-risk subgroup. Acta Paediatr. 2011; 100(7):e5-11. DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2011.02247.x. View

12.

Hreinsdottir J, Ewald U, Strand Brodd K, Ornkloo H, von Hofsten C, Holmstrom G . Ophthalmological outcome and visuospatial ability in very preterm children measured at 2.5 years corrected age. Acta Paediatr. 2013; 102(12):1144-9. DOI: 10.1111/apa.12406. View

13.

Koziol L, Budding D, Chidekel D . From movement to thought: executive function, embodied cognition, and the cerebellum. Cerebellum. 2011; 11(2):505-25. DOI: 10.1007/s12311-011-0321-y. View

14.

von Hofsten C, Rosander K . The development of gaze control and predictive tracking in young infants. Vision Res. 1996; 36(1):81-96. DOI: 10.1016/0042-6989(95)00054-4. View

15.

Serenius F, Kallen K, Blennow M, Ewald U, Fellman V, Holmstrom G . Neurodevelopmental outcome in extremely preterm infants at 2.5 years after active perinatal care in Sweden. JAMA. 2013; 309(17):1810-20. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2013.3786. View

16.

Hintz S, Barnes P, Bulas D, Slovis T, Finer N, Wrage L . Neuroimaging and neurodevelopmental outcome in extremely preterm infants. Pediatrics. 2015; 135(1):e32-42. PMC: 4279063. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2014-0898. View

17.

Schmidt B, Asztalos E, Roberts R, Robertson C, Sauve R, Whitfield M . Impact of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, brain injury, and severe retinopathy on the outcome of extremely low-birth-weight infants at 18 months: results from the trial of indomethacin prophylaxis in preterms. JAMA. 2003; 289(9):1124-9. DOI: 10.1001/jama.289.9.1124. View

18.

Strand-Brodd K, Ewald U, Gronqvist H, Holmstrom G, Stromberg B, Gronqvist E . Development of smooth pursuit eye movements in very preterm infants: 1. General aspects. Acta Paediatr. 2011; 100(7):983-91. PMC: 3123744. DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2011.02218.x. View

19.

Bohm B, Lundequist A, Smedler A . Visual-motor and executive functions in children born preterm: the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test revisited. Scand J Psychol. 2010; 51(5):376-84. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2010.00818.x. View

20.

Aarnoudse-Moens C, Weisglas-Kuperus N, van Goudoever J, Oosterlaan J . Meta-analysis of neurobehavioral outcomes in very preterm and/or very low birth weight children. Pediatrics. 2009; 124(2):717-28. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2008-2816. View