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Kaltsa M, Babacheva E, Fotiadou G, Goutsiou E, Kantziou K, Nicolaidis K, Soubasi V. Early cognitive assessment in premature infants: the discriminatory value of eye-tracking vs. Bayley Scales. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1384486. [PMID: 38957884 PMCID: PMC11217545 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1384486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The testing of visuocognitive development in preterm infants shows strong interactions between perinatal characteristics and cognition, learning and overall neurodevelopment evolution. The assessment of anticipatory gaze data of object-location bindings via eye-tracking can predict the neurodevelopment of preterm infants at the age of 3 years; little is known, however, about the early cognitive function and its assessment methods during the first year of life. Methods The current study presents data from a novel assessment tool, a Delayed Match Retrieval (DMR) paradigm via eye-tracking was used to measure visual working memory (VWM) and attention skills. The eye-tracking task that was designed to measure infants' ability to actively localize objects and to make online predictions of object-location bindings. 63 infants participated in the study, 39 preterm infants and 24 healthy full term infants - at a corrected age of 8-9 months for premature infants and similar chronological age for full term infants. Infants were also administered the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. Results The analysis of the Bayley scores showed no significant difference between the two groups while the eye-tracking data showed a significant group effect on all measurements. Moreover, preterm infants' VWM performance was significantly lower than full term's. Birth weight affected the gaze time on all Areas Of Interest (AOIs), overall VWM performance and the scores at the Cognitive Bayley subscale. Furthermore, preterm infants with fetal growth restriction (FGR) showed significant performance effects in the eye-tracking measurements but not on their Bayley scores verifying the high discriminatory value of the eye gaze data. Conclusion Visual working memory and attention as measured via eye-tracking is a non-intrusive, painless, short duration procedure (approx. 4-min) was found to be a significant tool for identifying prematurity and FGR effects on the development of cognition during the first year of life. Bayley Scales alone may not pick up these deficits. Identifying tools for early neurodevelopmental assessments and cognitive function is important in order to enable earlier support and intervention in the vulnerable group of premature infants, given the associations between foundational executive functional skills and later cognitive and academic ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kaltsa
- Language Development Lab, School of English, Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evgenia Babacheva
- 2 Department of Neonatology and NICU, School of Medicine, General Hospital of Papageorgiou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Georgia Fotiadou
- LingLab, School of Philology, Department of Linguistics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evanthia Goutsiou
- 2 Department of Neonatology and NICU, School of Medicine, General Hospital of Papageorgiou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Katerina Kantziou
- 1 Neonatal Department and NICU, Hippokration General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Katerina Nicolaidis
- Phonetics Laboratory, School of English, Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Soubasi
- 2 Department of Neonatology and NICU, School of Medicine, General Hospital of Papageorgiou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Kvestad I, Ulak M, Ranjitkar S, Shrestha M, Chandyo RK, Guedeney A, Braarud HC, Hysing M, Strand TA. Social withdrawal behaviour in Nepalese infants and the relationship with future neurodevelopment; a longitudinal cohort study. BMC Pediatr 2024; 24:195. [PMID: 38500052 PMCID: PMC10946118 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-024-04658-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social withdrawal in infants may be a signal of distress and a precursor for non-optimal development. OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between infant social withdrawal and neurodevelopment up to 4 years in Nepalese children. METHODS A total of 597 Nepalese infants 6-11 months old were assessed with the modified Alarm Distress Baby Scale (m-ADBB), and of these, 527 with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development 3rd edition (Bayley-III) during early childhood, and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-IV) and NEPSY-II subtests at 4 years. We examined whether social withdrawal defined by the m-ADBB was associated with neurodevelopmental scores in regression models. RESULTS Children socially withdrawn in infancy had lower Bayley-III language scores (-2.6 (95% CI -4.5, -0.7)) in early childhood. This association seems to be driven by the expressive communication subscale (-0.7 (95% CI -1.0, -0.3)), but not the receptive communication subscale (-0.2 (95% CI -0.6, 0.1)). There were no differences in the other Bayley-III scores or the WPPSI-IV and NEPSY-II scores at 4 years in children who were socially withdrawn or not. CONCLUSION Social withdrawal in infancy was reflected in early language development but not cognitive functioning at 4 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Kvestad
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway
| | - Manjeswori Ulak
- Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Medicine, Child Health Research Project, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Suman Ranjitkar
- Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Medicine, Child Health Research Project, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Merina Shrestha
- Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Medicine, Child Health Research Project, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Ram K Chandyo
- Department of Community Medicine, Kathmandu Medical College, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | - Hanne C Braarud
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, Norway
| | - Mari Hysing
- Department of Psychosocial Science, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Tor A Strand
- Department of Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway.
- Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
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Chandyo RK, Schwinger C, Kvestad I, Ulak M, Ranjitkar S, Shrestha M, Nguyen LV, Corona-Perez D, DeVivo I, Shrestha L, Strand TA. The association between household biomass fuel use and leukocyte telomere length among toddlers in Bhaktapur, Nepal. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023; 33:448-454. [PMID: 36138138 PMCID: PMC10234806 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-022-00474-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biomass fuels are still in use for cooking by many households in resource poor countries such as Nepal and is a major source of household air pollution (HAP). Chronic exposure to HAP has been shown to be associated with shorter telomere length in adults. OBJECTIVES To measure the association between exposure related to household biomass fuel in infancy and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) at 18-23 months of age among 497 children from Bhaktapur, Nepal. METHODS In a prospective cohort study design, we have collected information on household cooking fuel use and several clinical, anthropometric, demographic, and socioeconomic variables. We estimated the association between biomass fuel use and the relative LTL in multiple linear regression models. RESULTS Most of the families (78%) reported liquified petroleum gas (LPG) as the primary cooking fuel, and 18.7% used biomass. The mean relative (SD) LTL was 1.03 (0.19). Children living in households using biomass fuel had on average 0.09 (95% CI: 0.05 to 0.13) units shorter LTL than children in households with no biomass fuel use. The observed association was unaltered after adjusting for relevant confounders. The association between LTL and biomass use was strongest among children from households with ≤2 rooms and without separate kitchen. SIGNIFICANCE Exposure to biomass fuel use in early life might have consequences for longevity, and risk of chronic illnesses reflected in shortening of the telomeres. Our findings support the ongoing effort to reduce exposure to biomass fuel in low-resource settings. IMPACT STATEMENTS Biomass for cooking is a leading source of household air pollution in low and middle-income countries, contributing to many chronic diseases and premature deaths. Chronic exposure to biomass fuel through oxidative stress and inflammation has been associated with a shortening of the telomeres, a "biological marker" of longevity. This prospective cohort study describes the association between household biomass fuel use and leukocyte telomere length among 497 toddlers. Leukocyte telomere length was significantly shorter among children living in households with biomass fuel than in children from homes where mainly LPG was used for cooking. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02272842, registered October 21, 2014, Universal Trial Number: U1111-1161-5187 (September 8, 2014).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram K Chandyo
- Department of Community Medicine, Kathmandu Medical College, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Catherine Schwinger
- Centre for Intervention Science in Maternal and Child Health, Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ingrid Kvestad
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway
| | - Manjeswori Ulak
- Centre for Intervention Science in Maternal and Child Health, Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Child Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Suman Ranjitkar
- Department of Child Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Merina Shrestha
- Department of Child Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Linda Vy Nguyen
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Diana Corona-Perez
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Immaculata DeVivo
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laxman Shrestha
- Department of Child Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Tor A Strand
- Centre for Intervention Science in Maternal and Child Health, Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
- Department of Research, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway.
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