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Kaul YF, Karimi AG, Johansson M, Montgomery C, Hellström-Westas L, Wikström J, Kochukhova O. Mri findings, looking behaviour and affect recognition in very preterm children: A pilot study. Physiol Behav 2024; 280:114553. [PMID: 38615730 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Children born very preterm often exhibit atypical gaze behaviors, affect recognition difficulties and are at risk for cerebral white matter damage. This study explored links between these sequalae. In 24 12-year-old children born very preterm, ventricle size using Evans and posterior ventricle indices, and corpus callosum area were used to measure white matter thickness. The findings revealed a correlation between less attention towards the eyes and larger ventricle size. Ventricle and posterior corpus callosum sizes were correlated to affect-recognition proficiency. Findings suggest a link between white matter damage, gaze behavior, and affect recognition accuracy, emphasizing a relation with social perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ylva Fredriksson Kaul
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Surgical Sciences, Neuroradiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Annette Geeb Karimi
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Neuroradiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Radiology Department, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin Johansson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Montgomery
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Johan Wikström
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Neuroradiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olga Kochukhova
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Wright D, Kenny A, Eley S, McKechanie AG, Stanfield AC. Visual social attention in SYNGAP1-related intellectual disability. Autism Res 2024; 17:1083-1093. [PMID: 38698724 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
SYNGAP1-ID is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a mutation of the SYNGAP1 gene. Characterized by moderate to severe developmental delay, it is associated with several physical and behavioral issues as well as additional diagnoses, including autism. However, it is not known whether social cognitive differences seen in SYNGAP1-ID are similar to those previously identified in idiopathic or other forms of autism. This study therefore investigated visual social attention in SYNGAP1-ID. Eye movements were recorded across three passive viewing tasks (face scanning, pop-out, and social preference) of differing social complexity in 24 individuals with SYNGAP1-ID and 12 typically developing controls. We found that SYNGAP1-ID participants looked at faces less than the controls, and when they did look at faces, they had less time looking at and fewer fixations to the eyes. For the pop-out task, where social and nonsocial objects (Phone, car, face, bird, and face-noise) were presented in an array, those with SYNGAP1-ID spent significantly less time looking at the phone stimulus as well as fewer fixations to the face compared with the typically developing controls. When looking at two naturalistic scenes side by side, one social in nature (e.g., with children present) and the other not, there were no differences between the SYNGAP1-ID group and typically developing controls on any of the examined eye tracking measures. This study provides novel findings on the social attention of those with SYNGAP1-ID and helps to provide further evidence for using eye tracking as an objective measure of the social phenotype in this population in future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Wright
- Patrick Wild Centre, Division of Psychiatry, Kennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Aisling Kenny
- Patrick Wild Centre, Division of Psychiatry, Kennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah Eley
- Patrick Wild Centre, Division of Psychiatry, Kennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrew G McKechanie
- Patrick Wild Centre, Division of Psychiatry, Kennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrew C Stanfield
- Patrick Wild Centre, Division of Psychiatry, Kennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Aija A, Leppänen J, Aarnos L, Hyvönen M, Ståhlberg-Forsén E, Ahlqvist-Björkroth S, Stolt S, Toome L, Lehtonen L. Exposure to the parents' speech is positively associated with preterm infant's face preference. Pediatr Res 2024:10.1038/s41390-024-03239-8. [PMID: 38783114 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03239-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The parents' presence and involvement in neonatal care is a promising approach to improve preterm infants' neurodevelopmental outcomes. We examined whether exposure to the parents' speech is associated with the preterm infant's social-cognitive development. METHODS The study included infants born before 32 gestational weeks in two neonatal units. Each infant's language environment was assessed from 16-hour recordings using Language Environment Analysis (LENA®). Parental presence was assessed with Closeness Diary for 14 days during the hospital stay. Attention to faces and non-face patterns was measured at the corrected age of seven months using an eye-tracking disengagement test. RESULTS A total of 63 preterm infants were included. Infants were less likely to disengage their attention from faces (M = 0.55, SD = 0.26) than non-face patterns (M = 0.24, SD = 0.22), p < 0.001, d = 0.84. Exposure to the parents' speech during the neonatal period was positively correlated with the preference for faces over non-face patterns (rs = 0.34, p = 0.009) and with the preference for parents over unfamiliar faces (rs = 0.28, p = 0.034). CONCLUSION The exposure to the parents' speech during neonatal hospital care is a potential early marker for later social development in preterm infants. IMPACT The exposure to the parents' speech during neonatal intensive care is a potential early marker for optimal social-cognitive development in preterm infants. This is the first study to show an association between parental vocal contact during neonatal intensive care and early social development (i.e., face preference), measured at seven months of corrected age. Our findings suggest that we should pay attention to the parents' vocal contact with their child in the neonatal intensive care unit and identify need for tailored support for face-to-face and vocal contact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anette Aija
- University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
- Department of Neonatal and Infant Medicine, Tallinn Children's Hospital, Tallinn, Estonia.
| | - Jukka Leppänen
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | | | | | - Eva Ståhlberg-Forsén
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Suvi Stolt
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liis Toome
- Department of Neonatal and Infant Medicine, Tallinn Children's Hospital, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Liisa Lehtonen
- University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
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Lederman VRG, Goulart AL, Negrão JG, Schwartzman JS. Visual scanning of social stimuli in preterm and autism spectrum disorder children. REVISTA PAULISTA DE PEDIATRIA : ORGAO OFICIAL DA SOCIEDADE DE PEDIATRIA DE SAO PAULO 2024; 42:e2023017. [PMID: 38716993 PMCID: PMC11073467 DOI: 10.1590/1984-0462/2024/42/2023017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the pattern of eye-gaze of preterm (PT), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurotypical (Ty) children. METHODS A cross-sectional study with eight preterm (born with ≤2000 g weight), nine ASD and five Ty male children, between six and nine years old, was performed. The eye gaze was evaluated presenting a board with a couple in social interaction, and a video with four children playing with blocks, projected in a screen computer, successively, evaluating the time that the children looked at each stimulus. RESULTS Although all the groups focus on the central social figure with no significant differences, ASD presented significant differences in time fixation of the objects (p=0.021), while premature children fixated more time in the central social interaction than in the whole scene than typical children. CONCLUSIONS Although this study found noteworthy differences in the eye-gaze patterns among the three groups, additional research with a more extensive participant pool is necessary to validate these preliminary results.
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Mousley VL, MacSweeney M, Mercure E. Bilingual toddlers show increased attention capture by static faces compared to monolinguals. BILINGUALISM (CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND) 2023; 26:835-844. [PMID: 37636491 PMCID: PMC7614981 DOI: 10.1017/s136672892200092x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Bilingual infants rely differently than monolinguals on facial information, such as lip patterns, to differentiate their native languages. This may explain, at least in part, why young monolinguals and bilinguals show differences in social attention. For example, in the first year, bilinguals attend faster and more often to static faces over non-faces than do monolinguals (Mercure et al., 2018). However, the developmental trajectories of these differences are unknown. In this pre-registered study, data were collected from 15- to 18-month-old monolinguals (English) and bilinguals (English and another language) to test whether group differences in face-looking behaviour persist into the second year. We predicted that bilinguals would orient more rapidly and more often to static faces than monolinguals. Results supported the first but not the second hypothesis. This suggests that, even into the second year of life, toddlers' rapid visual orientation to static social stimuli is sensitive to early language experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L Mousley
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mairéad MacSweeney
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Deafness, Cognition and Language Research Centre, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Evelyne Mercure
- Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Goldsmiths, University of London, London, United Kingdom
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Kretch KS, Marcinowski EC, Lin-Ya H, Koziol NA, Harbourne RT, Lobo MA, Dusing SC. Opportunities for learning and social interaction in infant sitting: Effects of sitting support, sitting skill, and gross motor delay. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13318. [PMID: 36047385 PMCID: PMC10544757 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The development of independent sitting changes everyday opportunities for learning and has cascading effects on cognitive and language development. Prior to independent sitting, infants experience the sitting position with physical support from caregivers. Why does supported sitting not provide the same input for learning that is experienced in independent sitting? This question is especially relevant for infants with gross motor delay, who require support in sitting for many months after typically developing infants sit independently. We observed infants with typical development (n = 34, ages 4-7 months) and infants with gross motor delay (n = 128, ages 7-16 months) in early stages of sitting development, and their caregivers, in a dyadic play observation. We predicted that infants who required caregiver support for sitting would spend more time facing away from the caregiver and less time contacting objects than infants who could sit independently. We also predicted that caregivers of supported sitters would spend less time contacting objects because their hands would be full supporting their infants. Our first two hypotheses were confirmed; however, caregivers spent surprisingly little time using both hands to provide support, and caregivers of supported sitters spent more time contacting objects than caregivers of independent sitters. Similar patterns were seen in the group of typically developing infants and the infants with motor delay. Our findings suggest that independent sitting and supported sitting provide qualitatively distinct experiences with different implications for social interaction and learning opportunities. HIGHLIGHTS: During seated free play, supported sitters spent more time facing away from their caregivers and less time handling objects than independent sitters. Caregivers who spent more time supporting infants with both hands spent less time handling objects; however, caregivers mostly supported infants with one or no hands. A continuous measure of sitting skill did not uniquely contribute to these behaviors beyond the effect of binary sitting support (supported vs. independent sitter). The pattern of results was similar for typically developing infants and infants with gross motor delay, despite differences in age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari S. Kretch
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California
| | | | - Hsu Lin-Ya
- Division of Physical Therapy, University of Washington
| | - Natalie A. Koziol
- Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
| | - Regina T. Harbourne
- Physical Therapy Department, Rangos School of Health Sciences, Duquesne University
| | | | - Stacey C. Dusing
- Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California
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Feldmann M, Borer J, Knirsch W, Daum MM, Wermelinger S, Latal B. Atypical gaze-following behaviour in infants with congenital heart disease. Early Hum Dev 2023; 181:105765. [PMID: 37079962 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2023.105765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurodevelopmental impairments are the most prevalent non-cardiac long-term sequelae in children with complex congenital heart disease (CHD). Deficits include the social-emotional and social-cognitive domains. Little is known about the predecessors of social-cognitive development in infants with CHD during the first year of life. Gaze-following behaviour can be used to measure early social-cognitive abilities. AIMS To assess gaze-following development in infants with CHD compared to healthy controls. STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-three infants who underwent neonatal correction for CHD and 84 healthy controls. OUTCOME MEASURES Gaze-following behaviour was assessed by eye tracking at 6 and 12 months. Difference scores for first fixation, fixation frequency and fixation duration towards the gaze-cued object were calculated across 6 trials and compared between groups at both testing time points while adjusting for known confounders. Linear mixed models were calculated to assess the longitudinal trajectory of gaze-following development while accounting for the nested and dependent data structure. RESULTS At 6 months, no difference in gaze-following behaviour between CHD and healthy controls was found. At 12 months, fixation frequency towards the gaze-cued was lower and looking duration was shorter in CHD compared to controls (p = 0.0077; p = 0.0068). Infants with CHD showed less increase with age in the fixation frequency towards the congruent object (p = 0.041) compared to controls. CONCLUSION During the first year of life, gaze-following development diverges in infants with CHD compared to healthy controls. Further research is needed to investigate the clinical relevance of these findings and the association with later social-cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Feldmann
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Borer
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Walter Knirsch
- Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Pediatric Heart Center, Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Moritz M Daum
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Wermelinger
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beatrice Latal
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Mendez AI, Tokish H, McQueen E, Chawla S, Klin A, Maitre NL, Klaiman C. A Comparison of the Clinical Presentation of Preterm Birth and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Commonalities and Distinctions in Children Under 3. Clin Perinatol 2023; 50:81-101. [PMID: 36868715 PMCID: PMC10842306 DOI: 10.1016/j.clp.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Premature infants and infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) share many commonalities in clinical presentations. However, prematurity and ASD also have differences in clinical presentation. These overlapping phenotypes can lead to misdiagnoses of ASD or missing a diagnosis of ASD in preterm infants. We document these commonalities and differences in various developmental domains with the hope of aiding in the accurate early detection of ASD and timely intervention implementation in children born premature. Given the degree of similarities in presentation, evidence-based interventions designed specifically for preterm toddlers or toddlers with ASD may ultimately aid both populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana I Mendez
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Marcus Autism Center, 1920 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 2015 Uppergate Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 1405 Clifton Road Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Hannah Tokish
- Marcus Autism Center, 1920 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 2015 Uppergate Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 1405 Clifton Road Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Emma McQueen
- Marcus Autism Center, 1920 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 2015 Uppergate Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 1405 Clifton Road Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Shivaang Chawla
- Marcus Autism Center, 1920 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 2015 Uppergate Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 1405 Clifton Road Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Ami Klin
- Marcus Autism Center, 1920 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 2015 Uppergate Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 1405 Clifton Road Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Nathalie L Maitre
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 2015 Uppergate Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 1405 Clifton Road Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Cheryl Klaiman
- Marcus Autism Center, 1920 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, 2015 Uppergate Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 1405 Clifton Road Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Visual tracking at 4 months in preterm infants predicts 6.5-year cognition and attention. Pediatr Res 2022; 92:1082-1089. [PMID: 34949760 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-021-01895-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visual tracking of moving objects requires sustained attention and prediction of the object's trajectory. We tested the hypothesis that measures of eye-head tracking of moving objects are associated to long-term neurodevelopment in very preterm infants. METHODS Visual tracking performance was assessed at 4 month's corrected age in 57 infants with gestational age <32 weeks. An object moved in front of the infant with sinusoidal or triangular (i.e. abrupt) turns of the direction. Gaze gain, smooth pursuit gain, and timing of gaze to object motion were analyzed. At 6.5 years the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder (Brown ADD), and visual examination were performed. RESULTS Gaze gain and smooth pursuit gain at 4 months were strongly related to all WISC-IV parameters at 6.5 years. Gaze gain for the triangular and sinusoidal motion patterns related similarly to the cognitive scores. For the sinusoidal motion pattern, timing related to most Brown ADD parameters. There were no statistically significant differences in associations dependent on motion pattern. Visual function did not influence the results. CONCLUSION The ability to attend to and smoothly track a moving object in infancy is an early marker of cognition and attention at 6.5 years. IMPACT Potential long-term implications of infant visual tracking of moving objects for school-age neurodevelopment has not been previously studied in very preterm infants. Early coordination of eye and head movements in gaze gain, smooth pursuit, and timing of gaze to object motion are closely associated with cognition and attention at 6.5 years. As related functions at 6.5 years include perceptual and verbal skills, working memory, processing speed and attention, predictive elements in gaze tracking of moving objects might be a suitable target for future intervention studies.
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Brzozowska A, Longo MR, Mareschal D, Wiesemann F, Gliga T. Oxytocin but not naturally occurring variation in caregiver touch associates with infant social orienting. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22290. [PMID: 35748632 PMCID: PMC9328151 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Caregiver touch is crucial for infants’ healthy development, but its role in shaping infant cognition has been relatively understudied. In particular, despite strong premises to hypothesize its function in directing infant attention to social information, little empirical evidence exists on the topic. In this study, we investigated the associations between naturally occurring variation in caregiver touch and infant social attention in a group of 6‐ to 13‐month‐old infants (n = 71). Additionally, we measured infant salivary oxytocin as a possible mediator of the effects of touch on infant social attention. The hypothesized effects were investigated both short term, with respect to touch observed during parent–infant interactions in the lab, and long term, with respect to parent‐reported patterns of everyday touching behaviors. We did not find evidence that caregiver touch predicts infant social attention or salivary oxytocin levels, short term or long term. However, we found that salivary oxytocin predicted infant preferential attention to faces relative to nonsocial objects, measured in an eye‐tracking task. Our findings confirm the involvement of oxytocin in social orienting in infancy, but raise questions regarding the possible environmental factors influencing the infant oxytocin system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Brzozowska
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK.,Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthew R Longo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Denis Mareschal
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Frank Wiesemann
- Baby Care, Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Schwalbach am Taunus, Germany
| | - Teodora Gliga
- Department of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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Davis R, Donati G, Finnegan K, Boardman JP, Dean B, Fletcher‐Watson S, Forrester GS. Social gaze in preterm infants may act as an early indicator of atypical lateralization. Child Dev 2022; 93:869-880. [PMID: 35112717 PMCID: PMC9545542 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Visual field biases have been identified as markers of atypical lateralization in children with developmental conditions, but this is the first investigation to consider early lateralized gaze behaviors for social stimuli in preterm infants. Eye-tracking methods with 51 preterm (33 male, 92.1% White) and 61 term-born (31 male, 90.1% White) infants aged 8-10 months from Edinburgh, UK, captured the development of visual field biases, comparing gaze behavior to social and non-social stimuli on the left versus right of the screen. Preterm infants showed a significantly reduced interest to social stimuli on the left versus right compared to term children (d = .58). Preterm children exhibit early differential orienting preferences that may be an early indicator of atypical lateralized function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Davis
- Salvesen Mindroom Research CentreUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Georgina Donati
- Department of Psychological SciencesBirkbeck, University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Kier Finnegan
- Department of ImmunobiologyUCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthLondonUK
| | - James P. Boardman
- MRC Centre for Reproductive HealthUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
- Centre for Clinical Brain SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Bethan Dean
- MRC Centre for Reproductive HealthUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
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Grannis C, Hung A, French RC, Mattson WI, Fu X, Hoskinson KR, Gerry Taylor H, Nelson EE. Multimodal classification of extremely preterm and term adolescents using the fusiform gyrus: A machine learning approach. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 35:103078. [PMID: 35687994 PMCID: PMC9189188 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Extremely preterm birth has been associated with atypical visual and neural processing of faces, as well as differences in gray matter structure in visual processing areas relative to full-term peers. In particular, the right fusiform gyrus, a core visual area involved in face processing, has been shown to have structural and functional differences between preterm and full-term individuals from childhood through early adulthood. The current study used multiple neuroimaging modalities to build a machine learning model based on the right fusiform gyrus to classify extremely preterm birth status. METHOD Extremely preterm adolescents (n = 20) and full-term peers (n = 24) underwent structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Group differences in gray matter density, measured via voxel-based morphometry (VBM), and blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response to face stimuli were explored within the right fusiform. Using group difference clusters as seed regions, analyses investigating outgoing white matter streamlines, regional homogeneity, and functional connectivity during a face processing task and at rest were conducted. A data driven approach was utilized to determine the most discriminative combination of these features within a linear support vector machine classifier. RESULTS Group differences in two partially overlapping clusters emerged: one from the VBM analysis showing less density in the extremely preterm cohort and one from BOLD response to faces showing greater activation in the extremely preterm relative to full-term youth. A classifier fit to the data from the cluster identified in the BOLD analysis achieved an accuracy score of 88.64% when BOLD, gray matter density, regional homogeneity, and functional connectivity during the task and at rest were included. A classifier fit to the data from the cluster identified in the VBM analysis achieved an accuracy score of 95.45% when only BOLD, gray matter density, and regional homogeneity were included. CONCLUSION Consistent with previous findings, we observed neural differences in extremely preterm youth in an area that plays an important role in face processing. Multimodal analyses revealed differences in structure, function, and connectivity that, when taken together, accurately distinguish extremely preterm from full-term born youth. Our findings suggest a compensatory role of the fusiform where less dense gray matter is countered by increased local BOLD signal. Importantly, sub-threshold differences in many modalities within the same region were informative when distinguishing between extremely preterm and full-term youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Grannis
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States.
| | - Andy Hung
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Roberto C French
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Whitney I Mattson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Xiaoxue Fu
- College of Education, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Kristen R Hoskinson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University Wexner College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - H Gerry Taylor
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University Wexner College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Eric E Nelson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University Wexner College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, United States
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13
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Fu X, Hung A, de Silva AD, Busch T, Mattson WI, Hoskinson KR, Taylor HG, Nelson EE. Development of the mentalizing network structures and theory of mind in extremely preterm youth. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2022; 17:977-985. [PMID: 35428893 PMCID: PMC9629469 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsac027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescents born preterm (<37 weeks of gestation) are at elevated risk for deficits in social cognition and peer relationships. Theory of Mind (ToM) is a complex form of social cognition important for regulating social interactions. ToM and the underlying mentalizing network continue to develop across adolescence. The present study recruited 48 adolescents (12-17 years old) who were either born extremely preterm (EPT; <28 weeks of gestation) or full-term (FT) at birth. Cortical thickness, gray matter volume and surface area were measured in four regions of the mentalizing network: the temporoparietal junction, anterior temporal cortex, posterior superior temporal sulcus and frontal pole (mBA10). We also assessed the adolescents' performance on a ToM task. Findings revealed both group differences and group-by-age interaction effects in the gray matter indices within the temporal lobe regions of the mentalizing network. The EPT group also performed significantly worse than the FT group on the ToM task. The cortical structural measures that discriminated the EPT and FT groups were not related to ToM performance. These results highlight altered developmental changes in brain regions underlying mentalizing functions in EPT adolescents relative to FT controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Fu
- Correspondence should be addressed to Xiaoxue Fu, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 129 Institute for Mind and Brain, 1800 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC 29201, USA. E-mail:
| | - Andy Hung
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Aryanne D de Silva
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Tyler Busch
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Whitney I Mattson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Kristen R Hoskinson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Hudson Gerry Taylor
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Eric E Nelson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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14
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Shinya Y, Kawai M, Niwa F, Kanakogi Y, Imafuku M, Myowa M. Cognitive flexibility in 12-month-old preterm and term infants is associated with neurobehavioural development in 18-month-olds. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3. [PMID: 35013426 PMCID: PMC8748813 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04194-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that preterm children are at an increased risk of poor executive functioning, which underlies behavioural and attention problems. Previous studies have suggested that early cognitive flexibility is a possible predictor of later executive function; however, how it develops in infancy and relates to the later neurobehavioural outcomes is still unclear in the preterm population. Here, we conducted a longitudinal study to investigate oculomotor response shifting in 27 preterm and 25 term infants at 12 months and its relationship with general cognitive development and effortful control, which is a temperamental aspect closely associated with executive function, at 18 months. We found that moderate to late preterm and term infants significantly inhibited previously rewarded look responses, while very preterm infants did not show significant inhibition of perseverative looking at 12 months. Moreover, lower inhibition of perseverative looking was significantly associated with lower general cognitive development and attentional shifting at 18 months. These findings suggest that the early atypical patterns of oculomotor response shifting may be a behavioural marker for predicting a higher risk of negative neurobehavioural outcomes, including attention-related problems in preterm children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Shinya
- Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Masahiko Kawai
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Fusako Niwa
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | | | - Masako Myowa
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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15
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Dean B, O'Carroll S, Ginnell L, Ledsham V, Telford E, Sparrow S, Boardman JP, Fletcher‐Watson S. Longitudinal assessment of social cognition in infants born preterm using eye‐tracking and parent–child play. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bethan Dean
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh BioQuarter Edinburgh UK
| | - Sinéad O'Carroll
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh BioQuarter Edinburgh UK
| | - Lorna Ginnell
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh BioQuarter Edinburgh UK
| | - Victoria Ledsham
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh BioQuarter Edinburgh UK
| | - Emma Telford
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh BioQuarter Edinburgh UK
| | - Sarah Sparrow
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh BioQuarter Edinburgh UK
| | - James P. Boardman
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh BioQuarter Edinburgh UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, Edinburgh BioQuarter Edinburgh UK
| | - Sue Fletcher‐Watson
- Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre, The University of Edinburgh, Kennedy Tower, Royal Edinburgh Hospital Edinburgh UK
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16
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Abstract
Faces hold a substantial value for effective social interactions and sharing. Covering faces with masks, due to COVID-19 regulations, may lead to difficulties in using social signals, in particular, in individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions. Daily-life social participation of individuals who were born preterm is of immense importance for their quality of life. Here we examined face tuning in individuals (aged 12.79 ± 1.89 years) who were born preterm and exhibited signs of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), a dominant form of brain injury in preterm birth survivors. For assessing the face sensitivity in this population, we implemented a recently developed experimental tool, a set of Face-n-Food images bordering on the style of Giuseppe Arcimboldo. The key benefit of these images is that single components do not trigger face processing. Although a coarse face schema is thought to be hardwired in the brain, former preterms exhibit substantial shortages in the face tuning not only compared with typically developing controls but also with individuals with autistic spectrum disorders. The lack of correlations between the face sensitivity and other cognitive abilities indicates that these deficits are domain-specific. This underscores impact of preterm birth sequelae for social functioning at large. Comparison of the findings with data in individuals with other neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions provides novel insights into the origins of deficient face processing.
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17
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Hunter MB, Chin RFM. Impaired social attention detected through eye movements in children with early-onset epilepsy. Epilepsia 2021; 62:1921-1930. [PMID: 34142371 DOI: 10.1111/epi.16962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Children with early-onset epilepsy (CWEOE; epilepsy onset before 5 years) exhibit impaired social functioning, but social attention has not yet been examined. In this study we sought to explore visual attention via eye tracking as a component of social attention and examine its relationship with social functioning and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) risk scores. METHODS Forty-seven CWEOE (3-63 months) and 41 controls (3-61 months) completed two eye-tracking tasks: (1) preference for social versus nonsocial naturalistic scenes, and (2) face region preference task. ASD risk was measured via the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers or Conners Early Childhood Total Score. Social functioning was assessed via the Greenspan Social-Emotional Growth Chart, or Infant-Toddler Social & Emotional Assessment Competence Scale, or Conners Early Childhood Social Functioning Scale, depending on age. Fixation preferences for social scenes and eyes were compared between groups and evaluated by age and social functioning scores. RESULTS Regression analysis revealed that CWEOE viewed the social scene to a significantly less degree than controls. The greatest difference was found between the youngest CWEOE and controls. Fixation duration was independently and significantly related to social functioning scores. There were no significant differences between CWEOE and controls in the face scanning task, and there was no significant relationship between either task and ASD risk scores. SIGNIFICANCE CWEOE exhibit task-specific atypical social attention early in the course of the disease. This may be an early marker of impaired social development, and it suggests abnormal social brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Hunter
- Muir Maxwell Epilepsy Centre, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, Child Life and Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Richard F M Chin
- Muir Maxwell Epilepsy Centre, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, Child Life and Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Edinburgh, UK
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18
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Dean B, Ginnell L, Boardman JP, Fletcher-Watson S. Social cognition following preterm birth: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 124:151-167. [PMID: 33524414 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Social cognitive abilities are affected by preterm birth, but pathways to, and risk factors for this outcome are not well mapped. We examined direct assessment tasks including objective coding of parent-child play to chart social development in infancy and pre-school years. A systematic search and data-extraction procedure yielded seventy-nine studies (4930 preterm and 2109 term children, aged birth - five years), for inclusion. We detected a pattern of reduced social attention in the first 12 months of life with evidence of reduced performance in social cognitive tasks later in the preschool years. However, we did not identify a consistent, distinctive preterm social phenotype in early life. Instead, the interactive behaviour of preterm infants reflects factors from outside the social cognitive domain, such as attention, language, and socioeconomic status. By combining data across samples and measures we revealed the role of domain-general skills, which may in future prove fruitful intervention targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethan Dean
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lorna Ginnell
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, UK
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19
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Imafuku M, Kawai M, Niwa F, Shinya Y, Myowa M. Longitudinal assessment of social attention in preterm and term infants: Its relation to social communication and language outcome. INFANCY 2021; 26:617-634. [PMID: 33856110 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Preterm birth has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of social communication and language problems. Recently, we found that preterm infants showed atypical patterns of social attention compared with term infants. However, it is still unknown how social attention develops and whether the individual differences are associated with developmental outcomes for social communication and language in preterm infants. The social attention of preterm and term infants at 6, 12, and 18 months was investigated using two types of social attention tasks (human-geometric preference task and gaze-following task). The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) and the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory adapted for Japanese were measured at 18 months. We found that compared with term infants, preterm infants spent less time looking toward dynamic human images and followed another's gaze directions less frequently through 6, 12, and 18 months. Moreover, hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that less preference for dynamic human images and gaze-following abilities was associated with high M-CHAT and low language scores in preterm and term infants, respectively. These findings suggest that birth status affects development of social attention through 18 months and individual differences in social attention reflect differences in social communication and language outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Imafuku
- Department of Early Childhood Education and Care, Faculty of Education, Musashino University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiko Kawai
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Fusako Niwa
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuta Shinya
- Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masako Myowa
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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20
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McDonald NM, Jeste SS. Beyond Baby Siblings-Expanding the Definition of "High-Risk Infants" in Autism Research. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2021; 23:34. [PMID: 33860866 PMCID: PMC8765326 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-021-01243-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Much of our understanding of early development in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comes from studies of children with a family history of autism. We reviewed the current literature on neurodevelopmental profiles and autism prevalence from other high-risk infant groups to expose gaps and inform next steps. We focused on infants with early medical risk (e.g., preterm birth) and genetic risk (tuberous sclerosis complex [TSC]). RECENT FINDINGS About 7% of very preterm infants are later diagnosed with ASD. Prospective studies of early development outside of familial-risk infants are rare; however, recent work within preterm and TSC infants suggests interesting similarities and differences from infants with a family history of ASD. It is essential that we extend our knowledge of early markers of ASD beyond familial-risk infants to expand our knowledge of autism as it emerges in order to develop better, more individualized early interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M McDonald
- UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Shafali S Jeste
- UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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21
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Dean B, Ginnell L, Ledsham V, Tsanas A, Telford E, Sparrow S, Fletcher-Watson S, Boardman JP. Eye-tracking for longitudinal assessment of social cognition in children born preterm. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021; 62:470-480. [PMID: 32729133 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Preterm birth is associated with atypical social cognition in infancy, and cognitive impairment and social difficulties in childhood. Little is known about the stability of social cognition through childhood, and its relationship with neurodevelopment. We used eye-tracking in preterm and term-born infants to investigate social attentional preference in infancy and at 5 years, its relationship with neurodevelopment and the influence of socioeconomic deprivation. METHODS A cohort of 81 preterm and 66 term infants with mean (range) gestational age at birth 28+5 (23+2 -33+0 ) and 40+0 (37+0 -42+1 ) respectively, completed eye-tracking at 7-9 months, with a subset re-assessed at 5 years. Three free-viewing social tasks of increasing stimulus complexity were presented, and a social preference score was derived from looking time to socially informative areas. Socioeconomic data and the Mullen Scales of Early Learning at 5 years were collected. RESULTS Preterm children had lower social preference scores at 7-9 months compared with term-born controls. Term-born children's scores were stable between time points, whereas preterm children showed a significant increase, reaching equivalent scores by 5 years. Low gestational age and socioeconomic deprivation were associated with reduced social preference scores at 7-9 months. At 5 years, preterm infants had lower Early Learning Composite scores than controls, but this was not associated with social attentional preference in infancy or at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS Preterm children have reduced social attentional preference at 7-9 months compared with term-born controls, but catch up by 5 years. Infant social cognition is influenced by socioeconomic deprivation and gestational age. Social cognition and neurodevelopment have different trajectories following preterm birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethan Dean
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lorna Ginnell
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Victoria Ledsham
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Emma Telford
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah Sparrow
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sue Fletcher-Watson
- Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre for Learning Difficulties, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James P Boardman
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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22
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Perra O, Wass S, McNulty A, Sweet D, Papageorgiou KA, Johnston M, Bilello D, Patterson A, Alderdice F. Very preterm infants engage in an intervention to train their control of attention: results from the feasibility study of the Attention Control Training (ACT) randomised trial. Pilot Feasibility Stud 2021; 7:66. [PMID: 33712090 PMCID: PMC7952829 DOI: 10.1186/s40814-021-00809-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Very premature birth (gestational age between 28 and 31 + 6 weeks) is associated with increased risk of cognitive delay and attention deficit disorder, which have been linked to anomalies in the development of executive functions (EFs) and their precursors. In particular, very preterm (VP) infants display anomalies in controlling attention and gathering task-relevant information. Early interventions that support attention control may be pivotal in providing a secure base for VP children’s later attainments. The Attention Control Training (ACT) is a cognitive training intervention that targets infants’ abilities to select visual information according to varying task demands but had not been tested in VP infants. We conducted a feasibility study to test the processes we intend to use in a trial delivering the ACT to VP infants. Methods and design We tested recruitment and retention of VP infants and their families in a randomised trial, as well as acceptability and completion of baseline and outcome measures. To evaluate these aims, we used descriptive quantitative statistics and qualitative methods to analyse feedback from infants’ caregivers. We also investigated the quality of eye-tracking data collected and indicators of infants’ engagement in the training, using descriptive statistics. Results Twelve VP infants were recruited, and 10 (83%) completed the study. Participants’ parents had high education attainment. The rate of completion of baseline and outcome measures was optimal. VP infants demonstrated engagement in the training, completing on average 84 min of training over three visits, and displaying improved performance during this training. Eye-tracking data quality was moderate, but this did not interfere with infants’ engagement in the training. Discussion The results suggest the ACT can be delivered to VP infants. However, challenges remain in recruitment of numerous and diverse samples. We discuss strategies to overcome these challenges informed by results of this study. Trial registration Registered Registration ID: NCT03896490. Retrospectively registered at Clinical Trials Protocol Registration and Results System (clinicaltrials.gov). Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40814-021-00809-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Perra
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK. .,Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Sam Wass
- School of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Alison McNulty
- TinyLife, The Premature Baby Charity for Northern Ireland, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - David Sweet
- Health and Social Care Belfast Trust, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | | | - Matthew Johnston
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.,Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.,School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Delfina Bilello
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.,Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biology Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.,School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Aaron Patterson
- School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Fiona Alderdice
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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23
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Maylott SE, Sansone JR, Jakobsen KV, Simpson EA. Superior Detection of Faces in Male Infants at 2 Months. Child Dev 2021; 92:e621-e634. [PMID: 33492747 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Females generally attend more to social information than males; however, little is known about the early development of these sex differences. With eye tracking, 2-month olds' (N = 101; 44 females) social orienting to faces was measured within four-item image arrays. Infants were more likely to detect human faces compared to objects, suggesting a functional face detection system. Unexpectedly, males looked longer at human faces than females, and only males looked faster and longer at human faces compared to objects. Females, in contrast, looked less at human faces relative to animal faces and objects, appearing socially disinterested. Notably, this is the first report of a male face detection advantage at any age. These findings suggest a unique stage in early infant social development.
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24
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Kittler PM, Kim SY, Flory MJ, Phan HTT, Karmel BZ, Gardner JM. Effects of motion and audio-visual redundancy on upright and inverted face and feature preferences in 4-13-month old pre- and full-term NICU graduates. Infant Behav Dev 2020; 60:101439. [PMID: 32438215 PMCID: PMC7671943 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
NICU infants are reported to have diminished social orientation and increased risk of socio-communicative disorders. In this eye tracking study, we used a preference for upright compared to inverted faces as a gauge of social interest in high medical risk full- and pre-term NICU infants. We examined the effects of facial motion and audio-visual redundancy on face and eye/mouth preferences across the first year. Upright and inverted baby faces were simultaneously presented in a paired-preference paradigm with motion and synchronized vocalization varied. NICU risk factors including birth weight, sex, and degree of CNS injury were examined. Overall, infants preferred the more socially salient upright faces, making this the first report, to our knowledge, of an upright compared to inverted face preference among high medical risk NICU infants. Infants with abnormalities on cranial ultrasound displayed lower social interest, i.e. less of a preferential interest in upright faces, when viewing static faces. However, motion selectively increased their upright face looking time to a level equal that of infants in other CNS injury groups. We also observed an age-related sex effect suggesting higher risk in NICU males. Females increased their attention to the mouth in upright faces across the first year, especially between 7-10 months, but males did not. Although vocalization increased diffuse attention toward the screen, contrary to our predictions, there was no evidence that the audio-visual redundancy embodied in a vocalizing face focused additional attention on upright faces or mouths. This unexpected result may suggest a vulnerability in response to talking faces among NICU infants that could potentially affect later verbal and socio-communicative development.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Kittler
- Department of Infant Development, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, United States.
| | - S-Y Kim
- Department of Infant Development, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, United States
| | - M J Flory
- Department of Infant Development, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, United States
| | - H T T Phan
- Department of Infant Development, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, United States
| | - B Z Karmel
- Department of Infant Development, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities and Department of Pediatrics, Richmond University Medical Center, United States
| | - J M Gardner
- Department of Infant Development, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities and Department of Pediatrics, Richmond University Medical Center, United States
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25
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Boardman JP, Hall J, Thrippleton MJ, Reynolds RM, Bogaert D, Davidson DJ, Schwarze J, Drake AJ, Chandran S, Bastin ME, Fletcher-Watson S. Impact of preterm birth on brain development and long-term outcome: protocol for a cohort study in Scotland. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e035854. [PMID: 32139495 PMCID: PMC7059503 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Preterm birth is closely associated with altered brain development and is a leading cause of neurodevelopmental, cognitive and behavioural impairments across the life course. We aimed to investigate neuroanatomic variation and adverse outcomes associated with preterm birth by studying a cohort of preterm infants and controls born at term using brain MRI linked to biosamples and clinical, environmental and neuropsychological data. METHODS AND ANALYSIS Theirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort is a prospective longitudinal cohort study at the University of Edinburgh. We plan to recruit 300 infants born at <33 weeks of gestational age (GA) and 100 healthy control infants born after 37 weeks of GA. Multiple domains are assessed: maternal and infant clinical and demographic information; placental histology; immunoregulatory and trophic proteins in umbilical cord and neonatal blood; brain macrostructure and microstructure from structural and diffusion MRI (dMRI); DNA methylation; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity; social cognition, attention and processing speed from eye tracking during infancy and childhood; neurodevelopment; gut and respiratory microbiota; susceptibility to viral infections; and participant experience. Main analyses include creation of novel methods for extracting information from neonatal structural and dMRI, regression analyses of predictors of brain maldevelopment and neurocognitive outcome associated with preterm birth, and determination of the quantitative predictive performance of MRI and other early life factors for childhood outcome. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval has been obtained from the National Research Ethics Service (NRES), South East Scotland Research Ethics Committee (NRES numbers 11/55/0061 and 13/SS/0143 (phase I) and 16/SS/0154 (phase II)), and NHS Lothian Research and Development (2016/0255). Results are disseminated through open access journals, scientific meetings, social media, newsletters anda study website (www.tebc.ed.ac.uk), and we engage with the University of Edinburgh public relations and media office to ensure maximum publicity and benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Boardman
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jill Hall
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Rebecca M Reynolds
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Debby Bogaert
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Donald J Davidson
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jurgen Schwarze
- Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Amanda J Drake
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Mark E Bastin
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sue Fletcher-Watson
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Perra O, Wass S, McNulty A, Sweet D, Papageorgiou K, Johnston M, Patterson A, Bilello D, Alderdice F. Training attention control of very preterm infants: protocol for a feasibility study of the Attention Control Training (ACT). Pilot Feasibility Stud 2020; 6:17. [PMID: 32055404 PMCID: PMC7008548 DOI: 10.1186/s40814-020-0556-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children born preterm may display cognitive, learning, and behaviour difficulties as they grow up. In particular, very premature birth (gestation age between 28 and less than 32 weeks) may put infants at increased risk of intellectual deficits and attention deficit disorder. Evidence suggests that the basis of these problems may lie in difficulties in the development of executive functions. One of the earliest executive functions to emerge around 1 year of age is the ability to control attention. An eye-tracking-based cognitive training programme to support this emerging ability, the Attention Control Training (ACT), has been developed and tested with typically developing infants. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using the ACT with healthy very preterm (VP) infants when they are 12 months of age (corrected age). The ACT has the potential to address the need for supporting emerging cognitive abilities of VP infants with an early intervention, which may capitalise on infants' neural plasticity. METHODS/DESIGN The feasibility study is designed to investigate whether it is possible to recruit and retain VP infants and their families in a randomised trial that compares attention and social attention of trained infants against those that are exposed to a control procedure. Feasibility issues include the referral/recruitment pathway, attendance, and engagement with testing and training sessions, completion of tasks, retention in the study, acceptability of outcome measures, quality of data collected (particularly, eye-tracking data). The results of the study will inform the development of a larger randomised trial. DISCUSSION Several lines of evidence emphasise the need to support emerging cognitive and learning abilities of preterm infants using early interventions. However, early interventions with preterm infants, and particularly very preterm ones, face difficulties in recruiting and retaining participants. These problems are also augmented by the health vulnerability of this population. This feasibility study will provide the basis for informing the implementation of an early cognitive intervention for very preterm infants. TRIAL REGISTRATION Registered Registration ID: NCT03896490. Retrospectively registered at Clinical Trials Protocol Registration and Results System (clinicaltrials.gov).
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Perra
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast, Medical Biology Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL Northern Ireland, UK
- Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Sam Wass
- School of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Alison McNulty
- TinyLife, The Premature Baby Charity for Northern Ireland, Belfast, UK
| | - David Sweet
- Health and Social Care Belfast Trust, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Kostas Papageorgiou
- School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Matthew Johnston
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast, Medical Biology Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL Northern Ireland, UK
- Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
- School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Aaron Patterson
- School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Delfina Bilello
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast, Medical Biology Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL Northern Ireland, UK
- Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
- School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Fiona Alderdice
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Abstract
Social cognition refers to a complex set of mental abilities underlying social stimulus perception, processing, interpretation, and response. Together, these abilities support the development of adequate social competence and adaptation. Social cognition has a protracted development through infancy to adulthood. Given the preponderance of social dysfunctions across neurologic conditions, social cognition is now recognized as a core domain of functioning that warrants clinical attention. This chapter provides an overview of the construct of social cognition, defines some of the most clinically significant sociocognitive abilities (face processing, facial expression processing, joint attention, theory of mind, empathy, and moral processing), and introduces the neural networks and frameworks associated with these abilities. Broad principles for understanding the development of social cognition are presented, and a summary of normative developmental milestones of clinically relevant sociocognitive abilities is proposed. General guidelines for sound social cognition assessment in children and adolescents are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Beaudoin
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Miriam H Beauchamp
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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Lederman VRG, Goulart AL, Negrão JG, da Cunha DHF, Dos Santos AMN, Schwartzman JS. Visual scanning preferences in low birth weight preterm infants. TRENDS IN PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY 2019; 41:334-339. [PMID: 31967194 DOI: 10.1590/2237-6089-2018-0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Few studies have used eye tracking as a screening tool for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in preterm infants. OBJECTIVES To evaluate fixation time on social and non-social figures and percentage of preterm babies who gazed at the images. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study of 31 preterm infants born weighing ≤ 2,000 g in which eye gaze was evaluated at 6 months of corrected age. Six boards with social and non-social figures were projected on a computer screen, successively, evaluating time and percentage of preterm babies who gazed at each board. The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) was answered at 18 months of corrected age. RESULTS Preterm infants showed longer visual fixation time on social figures compared with non-social images, regardless of the position of the social figure on the board. Similar percentages of preterm infants gazed either at social or non-social figures, at social figures with a direct or an indirect look, and at the eyes or mouth of the social figures. No preterm infant screened positive on the M-CHAT. CONCLUSION At 6 months of corrected age, preterm infants show the ability to gaze in an eye-tracking test, with preference for social figures, suggesting that this tool could be useful as another screening instrument for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian R G Lederman
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Distúrbios do Desenvolvimento, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana L Goulart
- Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana G Negrão
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Distúrbios do Desenvolvimento, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Deyse H F da Cunha
- Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Amélia M N Dos Santos
- Departamento de Pediatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - José S Schwartzman
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Distúrbios do Desenvolvimento, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Ene D, Der G, Fletcher-Watson S, O’Carroll S, MacKenzie G, Higgins M, Boardman JP. Associations of Socioeconomic Deprivation and Preterm Birth With Speech, Language, and Communication Concerns Among Children Aged 27 to 30 Months. JAMA Netw Open 2019; 2:e1911027. [PMID: 31509207 PMCID: PMC6739726 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.11027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Successful acquisition of language is foundational for health and well-being across the life course and is patterned by medical and social determinants that operate in early life. OBJECTIVE To investigate the associations of neighborhood disadvantage, gestational age, and English as first language with speech, language, and communication concerns among children aged 27 to 30 months. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study used birth data from the National Health Service maternity electronic medical record linked to the Child Health Surveillance Programme for preschool children. The cohort included 28 634 children in the United Kingdom (NHS Lothian, Scotland) born between January 2011 and December 2014 who were eligible for a health review at age 27 to 30 months between April 2013 and April 2016. Data analysis was conducted between January 2018 and February 2019. EXPOSURES The associations of neighborhood deprivation (using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2016 quintiles), gestational age, and whether English was the first language spoken in the home with preschool language function were investigated using mutually adjusted logistic regression models. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Speech, language, and communication (SLC) concern ascertained at age 27 to 30 months. RESULTS Records of 28 634 children (14 695 [51.3%] boys) with a mean (SD) age of 27.7 (2.2) months were matched. After excluding records with missing data, there were 26 341 records. The prevalence of SLC concern was 13.0% (3501 of 26 963 children with SLC data). In fully adjusted analyses, each 1-week increase in gestational age from 23 to 36 weeks was associated with an 8.8% decrease in the odds of a child having an SLC concern reported at 27 months (odds ratio, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.90-0.93). The odds of a child for whom English is not the first language of having SLC concern at age 27 to 30 months were 2.1-fold higher than those for a child whose first language is English (OR, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.66-2.64). The odds ratio for having an SLC concern among children living in the most deprived neighborhoods, compared with the least deprived neighborhoods, was 3.15 (95% CI, 2.79-3.56). The estimated probabilities for preterm children having an SLC concern were highest for those living in the most deprived areas. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study found that SLC concerns at age 27 to 30 months are common and independently associated with increasing levels of neighborhood deprivation and lower gestational age. Policies that reduce childhood deprivation could be associated with improved preschool language ability and potentially avoid propagation of disadvantage across the life course, including for children born preterm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Ene
- Information Services Division, NHS Lothian, NHS Scotland, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Geoff Der
- Medical Research Council/Chief Scientist Office Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sinéad O’Carroll
- Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Graham MacKenzie
- Information Services Division, NHS Lothian, NHS Scotland, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Higgins
- Public Health and Health Policy, NHS Lothian, NHS Scotland, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - James P. Boardman
- Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Mateus V, Osório A, Martins C. Effects of prematurity on infants' joint attention abilities: A meta‐analytic study. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vera Mateus
- School of Psychology, CIPsiUniversity of Minho Braga Portugal
| | - Ana Osório
- Social and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Developmental Disorders ProgramMackenzie Presbyterian University São Paulo Brazil
| | - Carla Martins
- School of Psychology, CIPsiUniversity of Minho Braga Portugal
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Imafuku M, Kawai M, Niwa F, Shinya Y, Myowa M. Audiovisual speech perception and language acquisition in preterm infants: A longitudinal study. Early Hum Dev 2019; 128:93-100. [PMID: 30541680 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preterm infants have a higher risk of language delay throughout childhood. The ability to integrate audiovisual speech information is associated with language acquisition in term infants; however, the relation is still unclear in preterm infant. AIM AND METHODS This study longitudinally investigated visual preference for audiovisual congruent and incongruent speech during a preferential looking task using eye-tracking in preterm and term infants at 6, 12, and 18 months of corrected age. The infants' receptive and expressive vocabulary at 12 and 18 months were obtained by parent report, using the Japanese MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory. RESULTS We found that preterm infants did not clearly show visual preference for the congruent audiovisual display at any age, whereas term infants looked at the congruent audiovisual display longer than the incongruent audiovisual display at 6 and 18 months. Preterm infants' receptive and expressive vocabulary scores were lower than those of term infants at 12 and 18 months. Furthermore, the proportion of looking time toward the congruent audiovisual display at 6 months was positively correlated with receptive vocabulary scores at 12 and 18 months for both groups. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that better audiovisual speech perception abilities are one factor that results in better language acquisition in preterm as well as term infants. Early identification of behaviors associated with later language in preterm infants may contribute to planning intervention for developmental problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Imafuku
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Faculty of Education, Musashino University, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Masahiko Kawai
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Fusako Niwa
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuta Shinya
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masako Myowa
- Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Pyykkö J, Forssman L, Maleta K, Ashorn P, Ashorn U, Leppänen JM. Early development of visual attention in infants in rural Malawi. Dev Sci 2018; 22:e12761. [PMID: 30315673 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Eye tracking research has shown that infants develop a repertoire of attentional capacities during the first year. The majority of studies examining the early development of attention comes from Western, high-resource countries. We examined visual attention in a heterogeneous sample of infants in rural Malawi (N = 312-376, depending on analysis). Infants were assessed with eye-tracking-based tests that targeted visual orienting, anticipatory looking, and attention to faces at 7 and 9 months. Consistent with prior research, infants exhibited active visual search for salient visual targets, anticipatory saccades to predictable events, and a robust attentional bias for happy and fearful faces. Individual variations in these processes had low to moderate odd-even split-half and test-retest reliability. There were no consistent associations between attention measures and gestational age, nutritional status, or characteristics of the rearing environment (i.e., maternal cognition, psychosocial well-being, socioeconomic status, and care practices). The results replicate infants' early attentional biases in a large, unique sample, and suggest that some of these biases (e.g., bias for faces) are pronounced in low-resource settings. The results provided no evidence that the initial manifestation of infants' attentional capacities is associated with risk factors that are common in low-resource environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juha Pyykkö
- Tampere Center for Child Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Linda Forssman
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kenneth Maleta
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Per Ashorn
- Tampere Center for Child Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Paediatrics, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ulla Ashorn
- Tampere Center for Child Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Jukka M Leppänen
- Tampere Center for Child Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
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Fletcher-Watson S, Hampton S. The potential of eye-tracking as a sensitive measure of behavioural change in response to intervention. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14715. [PMID: 30279422 PMCID: PMC6168486 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32444-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
One challenge to the development of effective interventions to support learning and behavioural change in neurodevelopmental disorders is a lack of suitable outcome measures. Eye-tracking has been used widely to chart cognitive development and clinically-relevant group differences in many populations. This proof-of-concept study investigates whether it also has the potential to act as a marker of treatment effects, by testing its sensitivity to differential change over a short period of exposure to an iPad app in typically developing children. The app targets a key skill in early social communication development, by rewarding attention to people, operationalised via a finger-tap on screen. We measured attention to images taken from the app, and a selection of matched stimuli to test generalisation of effects, at baseline and two weeks later. Children were assigned to either an app-exposure or no-app condition in the intervening period. The app exposure group showed increases in fixation on people for images from the app, and for distant-generalisation photographs, at high levels of complexity. We conclude that, with careful selection of stimuli, eye-tracking has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the range of outcome measures available for psycho-behavioural interventions in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue Fletcher-Watson
- Patrick Wild Centre, Division of Psychiatry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Sarah Hampton
- Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Ruiz N, Piskernik B, Witting A, Fuiko R, Ahnert L. Parent-child attachment in children born preterm and at term: A multigroup analysis. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202972. [PMID: 30161170 PMCID: PMC6116993 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE While ample research exists about mother-child attachment, so far little focus has been on specifics of father-child attachment. Even less research is available on the nature of the father-child relationship for children born preterm. The objective of this study was to determine whether children born preterm (23 to 37 weeks gestation) differ in their attachment to their fathers and mothers from their term peers (> 37 weeks gestation), and whether specific child characteristics, such as gender, twin status, and developmental status, have an influence on the parent-child relationship. METHODS The sample consisted of 290 children (n = 140 girls, 48.28%), 190 born before term (including 45 twin pairs) between 12 and 36 months of age (M = 19.5, SD = 5.7) and 100 term children of the same age (M = 18.8, SD = 6.1) with their 245 fathers and mothers. Attachment of the children with their mothers and fathers was assessed using the Attachment Q-sort during two home visits. Children's developmental status was measured with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development. RESULTS Within a multigroup analysis of parents with children born preterm and at term more secure attachment was found for both parents in the term sample than in the preterm group. Correlates of attachment specific to fathers of children born preterm accumulated to an explained variance of R2 = .82. For those fathers, less education as well as lower development scores and male gender of the child were associated with lower attachment scores. In the three other parent-child constellations the explained variance did not exceed 20%. Child development proved to be a significant predictor for father-child attachment regardless of the child's birth status. Male gender was associated with lower attachment scores for children born preterm with either parent. CONCLUSION The findings highlight the importance of including fathers in research and clinical practice and informing them about preterm birth, possible problems, and developmental consequences as well. Health professionals should be advised to create interventions focusing on both parents to enhance the quality of attachment in parent-child dyads in children born preterm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Ruiz
- Department of Applied Psychology: Health, Development, Enhancement and Intervention, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Piskernik
- Department of Applied Psychology: Health, Development, Enhancement and Intervention, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Witting
- Department of Applied Psychology: Health, Development, Enhancement and Intervention, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Renate Fuiko
- University Children´s Hospital Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lieselotte Ahnert
- Department of Applied Psychology: Health, Development, Enhancement and Intervention, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Telford EJ, Cox SR, Fletcher-Watson S, Anblagan D, Sparrow S, Pataky R, Quigley A, Semple SI, Bastin ME, Boardman JP. A latent measure explains substantial variance in white matter microstructure across the newborn human brain. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 222:4023-4033. [PMID: 28589258 PMCID: PMC5686254 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1455-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A latent measure of white matter microstructure (g WM) provides a neural basis for information processing speed and intelligence in adults, but the temporal emergence of g WM during human development is unknown. We provide evidence that substantial variance in white matter microstructure is shared across a range of major tracts in the newborn brain. Based on diffusion MRI scans from 145 neonates [gestational age (GA) at birth range 23+2-41+5 weeks], the microstructural properties of eight major white matter tracts were calculated using probabilistic neighborhood tractography. Principal component analyses (PCAs) were carried out on the correlations between the eight tracts, separately for four tract-averaged water diffusion parameters: fractional anisotropy, and mean, radial and axial diffusivities. For all four parameters, PCAs revealed a single latent variable that explained around half of the variance across all eight tracts, and all tracts showed positive loadings. We considered the impact of early environment on general microstructural properties, by comparing term-born infants with preterm infants at term equivalent age. We found significant associations between GA at birth and the latent measure for each water diffusion measure; this effect was most apparent in projection and commissural fibers. These data show that a latent measure of white matter microstructure is present in very early life, well before myelination is widespread. Early exposure to extra-uterine life is associated with altered general properties of white matter microstructure, which could explain the high prevalence of cognitive impairment experienced by children born preterm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma J Telford
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Simon R Cox
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sue Fletcher-Watson
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Devasuda Anblagan
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Sarah Sparrow
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Rozalia Pataky
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Alan Quigley
- Department of Radiology, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, 9 Sciennes Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1LF, UK
| | - Scott I Semple
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
- Clinical Research Imaging Centre, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark E Bastin
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
- Scottish Imaging Network, A Platform for Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE) Collaboration, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - James P Boardman
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK.
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Chancellor's Building, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK.
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Object permanence and the development of attention capacity in preterm and term infants: an eye-tracking study. Ital J Pediatr 2017; 43:90. [PMID: 28969661 PMCID: PMC5625684 DOI: 10.1186/s13052-017-0408-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Fenoglio A, Georgieff MK, Elison JT. Social brain circuitry and social cognition in infants born preterm. J Neurodev Disord 2017; 9:27. [PMID: 28728548 PMCID: PMC5516343 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-017-9206-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Preterm birth is associated with an increased risk of adverse neurologic, psychiatric, and cognitive outcomes. The brain circuits involved in processing social information are critical to all of these domains, but little work has been done to examine whether and how these circuits may be especially sensitive to prematurity. This paper contains a brief summary of some of the cognitive, psychiatric, and social outcomes associated with prematurity, followed by a description of findings from the modest body of research into social-cognitive development in infants and children born preterm. Next, findings from studies of structural and functional brain development in infants born preterm are reviewed, with an eye toward the distinctive role of the brain circuits implicated in social functioning. The goal of this review is to investigate the extent to which the putative "social brain" may have particular developmental susceptibilities to the insults associated with preterm birth, and the role of early social-cognitive development in later neurodevelopmental outcomes. Much work has been done to characterize neurobehavioral outcomes in the preterm population, but future research must incorporate both brain and behavioral measures to identify early biomarkers linked to later emerging social-cognitive clinical impairment in order to guide effective, targeted intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Fenoglio
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 East River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
| | - Michael K. Georgieff
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 East River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neonatology, University of Minnesota, 6th Floor East Building, MB630, 2450 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454 USA
| | - Jed T. Elison
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 East River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neonatology, University of Minnesota, 6th Floor East Building, MB630, 2450 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454 USA
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Zmyj N, Witt S, Weitkämper A, Neumann H, Lücke T. Social Cognition in Children Born Preterm: A Perspective on Future Research Directions. Front Psychol 2017; 8:455. [PMID: 28611695 PMCID: PMC5447081 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Preterm birth is a major risk factor for children’s development. It affects children’s cognitive and intellectual development and is related to impairments in IQ, executive functions, and well-being, with these problems persisting into adulthood. While preterm children’s intellectual and cognitive development has been studied in detail, their social development and social-cognitive competencies have received less attention. Namely, preterm children show problems in interactions with others. These interaction problems are present in relationships with parents, teachers, and peers. Parents’ behavior has been identified as a possible mediator of children’s social behavior. Maternal sensitivity and responsiveness as well as absence of mental disorders foster children’s social development. In this article, we will report on the social side of impairments that preterm children face. The review of the literature revealed that preterm infants’ joint attention abilities are impaired: They are less likely to initiate joint attention with others and to respond to others’ efforts to engage in joint attention. These deficits in joint attention might contribute to later impairments in social cognition, which in turn might affect social interaction skills. Based on these three domains (i.e., problems in social interaction, parental behavior, and impairments in joint attention), we suggest that preterm children’s social cognitive abilities should be investigated more intensively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Zmyj
- Institute of Psychology, TU Dortmund UniversityDortmund, Germany
| | - Sarah Witt
- Institute of Psychology, TU Dortmund UniversityDortmund, Germany
| | - Almut Weitkämper
- Department of Neuropediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Ruhr-Universität BochumBochum, Germany
| | - Helmut Neumann
- Department of Neuropediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Ruhr-Universität BochumBochum, Germany
| | - Thomas Lücke
- Department of Neuropediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Ruhr-Universität BochumBochum, Germany
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Boardman JP, Fletcher-Watson S. What can eye-tracking tell us? Arch Dis Child 2017; 102:301-302. [PMID: 28073740 DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2016-311693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James P Boardman
- College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sue Fletcher-Watson
- College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Social interaction is affected in many different developmental disorders; indeed, the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has introduced social cognition as one of six core components of neurocognitive functioning. Social cognition is not one thing, but a wide range of putative processes, which may be differentially affected in different clinical groups. This review focuses on recent advances in one aspect of social cognition, 'theory of mind' (ToM, representing what people think), and one core clinical group, autism spectrum disorder (ASD). RECENT FINDINGS It is 30 years since impaired ToM was proposed as an explanation for ASD social difficulties, and recently there has been a widening of interest to other clinical groups. ToM has been found to be distinct from emotion recognition and empathy. Recent research on ASD has focused increasingly on atypical sensory responses and commonly comorbid conditions. Interventions for social deficits, including ToM training and oxytocin, have shown mixed results to date. SUMMARY Heterogeneity poses a major obstacle to current research. Theoretical and empirical refinements are needed to elucidate neurocognitive and aetiological underpinnings of sociocognitive processes and inform clinical advances.
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Evidence for spared attention to faces in 7-month-old infants after prenatal exposure to antiepileptic drugs. Epilepsy Behav 2016; 64:62-68. [PMID: 27732918 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Revised: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prenatal antiepileptic drug (AED) exposure is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and autism spectrum disorders detected mainly at the age of two to six years. We examined whether the developmental aberrations associated with prenatal AED exposure could be detected already in infancy and whether effects on visual attention can be observed at this early age. MATERIAL AND METHODS We compared a prospective cohort of infants with in utero exposure to AED (n=56) with infants without drug exposures (n=62). The assessments performed at the age of seven months included standardized neurodevelopmental scores (Griffiths Mental Developmental Scale and Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination) as well as a novel eye-tracking-based test for visual attention and orienting to faces. Background information included prospective collection of AED exposure data, pregnancy outcome, neuropsychological evaluation of the mothers, and information on maternal epilepsy type. RESULTS Carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and valproate, but not lamotrigine or levetiracetam, were associated with impaired early language abilities at the age of seven months. The general speed of visuospatial orienting or attentional bias for faces measured by eye-tracker-based tests did not differ between AED-exposed and control infants. DISCUSSION Our findings support the idea that prenatal AED exposure may impair verbal abilities, and this effect may be detected already in infancy. In contrast, the early development of attention to faces was spared after in utero AED exposure.
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