Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Pediatrics. 2013 Jan;131(1):e243-50. doi: 10.1542/peds.2012-0839. Epub 2012 Dec 3.
Adults born preterm score lower on performance-based tests of executive functioning (EF) than their term-born peers. These test scores do not necessarily translate to application of these skills in an everyday environment. The objective of the study was to test differences between very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) adults and their term-born peers in self- and parent-rated EF and examine concordance between self- and parent-rated EF and performance-based tests of EF.
A longitudinal study of 90 VLBW adults and 93 term-born controls (aged 21-30 years) was performed. The young adults and their parents filled in the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning-Adult Version, and the adults underwent performance-based tests of EF.
VLBW young adults and especially those born appropriate for gestational age reported fewer problems in behavioral regulation and global EF than term-born controls; however, parents of VLBW adults born small for gestational age reported more problems for their children in all EF scales than parents of the controls. Compared with their parents, VLBW young adults reported fewer problems in behavioral regulation. Adults' ratings and their parents' ratings correlated significantly among VLBW and control groups. In the VLBW and VLBW/small-for-gestational-age groups, parent ratings of EF were correlated to performance-based tests, whereas among term-born adults, self-reports correlated.
These findings reveal that VLBW adults may have learned to compensate in the everyday environment for their EF deficits apparent in performance-based tests. Alternatively, VLBW adults may have positively skewed views of their abilities.
相较于足月出生的同龄人，早产儿在基于表现的执行功能（EF）测试中得分较低。这些测试分数并不一定能转化为在日常生活环境中应用这些技能。本研究的目的是测试极低出生体重（VLBW；<1500 克）的成年人与其足月出生的同龄人在自我和父母评定的 EF 方面的差异，并检验自我和父母评定的 EF 与基于表现的 EF 测试之间的一致性。
对 90 名 VLBW 成年人和 93 名足月出生的对照组（年龄在 21-30 岁之间）进行了一项纵向研究。年轻成年人及其父母填写了行为评定量表的成人版，以及基于表现的 EF 测试。
VLBW 年轻成年人，尤其是那些出生时为适宜胎龄的人，在行为调节和总体 EF 方面报告的问题比足月出生的对照组少；然而，VLBW 出生时体重不足的成年人的父母比对照组的父母报告他们的孩子在所有 EF 量表中都存在更多的问题。与他们的父母相比，VLBW 年轻成年人在行为调节方面报告的问题较少。VLBW 和对照组的成年人的评分和他们父母的评分之间存在显著相关性。在 VLBW 和 VLBW/小胎龄组中，父母对 EF 的评分与基于表现的测试相关，而在足月出生的成年人中，自我报告则相关。
这些发现表明，VLBW 成年人可能已经学会在日常生活环境中弥补基于表现的测试中明显的 EF 缺陷。或者，VLBW 成年人可能对自己的能力有正向偏斜的看法。
