Witt Arnaud, Theurel Anne, Tolsa Cristina Borradori, Lejeune Fleur, Fernandes Lisa, de Jonge Laurence van Hanswijck, Monnier Maryline, Bickle Graz Myriam, Barisnikov Koviljka, Gentaz Edouard, Hüppi Petra S
SensoriMotor, Affective and Social Development Lab, Geneva, Switzerland; University of Bourgogne, LEAD-CNRS, Dijon, France.
SensoriMotor, Affective and Social Development Lab, Geneva, Switzerland.
Early Hum Dev. 2014 Oct;90(10):565-9. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2014.07.008. Epub 2014 Aug 7.
Very preterm (VP) infants are at greater risk for cognitive difficulties that may persist during school-age, adolescence and adulthood. Behavioral assessments report either effortful control (part of executive functions) or emotional reactivity/regulation impairments.
The aim of this study is to examine whether emotional recognition, reactivity, and regulation, as well as effortful control abilities are impaired in very preterm children at 42 months of age, compared with their full-term peers, and to what extent emotional and effortful control difficulties are linked.
Children born very preterm (VP; < 29 weeks gestational age, n=41) and full-term (FT) aged-matched children (n=47) participated in a series of specific neuropsychological tests assessing their level of emotional understanding, reactivity and regulation, as well as their attentional and effortful control abilities.
VP children exhibited higher scores of frustration and fear, and were less accurate in naming facial expressions of emotions than their aged-matched peers. However, VP children and FT children equally performed when asked to choose emotional facial expression in social context, and when we assessed their selective attention skills. VP performed significantly lower than full terms on two tasks of inhibition when correcting for verbal skills. Moreover, significant correlations between cognitive capacities (effortful control) and emotional abilities were evidenced.
Compared to their FT peers, 42 month-olds who were born very preterm are at higher risk of exhibiting specific emotional and effortful control difficulties. The results suggest that these difficulties are linked. Ongoing behavioral and emotional impairments starting at an early age in preterms highlight the need for early interventions based on a better understanding of the relationship between emotional and cognitive difficulties.
极早产儿（VP）在学龄期、青春期和成年期出现认知困难的风险更高。行为评估报告显示，他们存在努力控制（执行功能的一部分）或情绪反应/调节障碍。
本研究旨在探讨与足月儿同龄人相比，42个月大的极早产儿在情绪识别、反应和调节以及努力控制能力方面是否受损，以及情绪和努力控制困难之间的关联程度。
极早产儿（VP；胎龄<29周，n = 41）和年龄匹配的足月儿（FT，n = 47）参与了一系列特定的神经心理学测试，以评估他们的情绪理解、反应和调节水平，以及注意力和努力控制能力。
与年龄匹配的同龄人相比，极早产儿在挫折和恐惧方面得分更高，在命名情绪面部表情时准确性更低。然而，在要求他们在社交情境中选择情绪面部表情以及评估他们的选择性注意技能时，极早产儿和足月儿表现相当。在纠正语言技能后，极早产儿在两项抑制任务上的表现明显低于足月儿。此外，认知能力（努力控制）和情绪能力之间存在显著相关性。
与足月儿同龄人相比，42个月大的极早产儿出现特定情绪和努力控制困难的风险更高。结果表明这些困难是相互关联的。早产儿从幼年开始持续存在的行为和情绪障碍凸显了基于更好地理解情绪和认知困难之间关系进行早期干预的必要性。
