Department of Development and Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Leuven Autism Research consortium, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Neuropediatrics. 2024 Feb;55(1):16-22. doi: 10.1055/a-2023-9280. Epub 2023 Jan 31.
Our objective was to investigate the executive function and its relationship with gestational age, sex, maternal education, and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years corrected age in children born preterm.
Executive function was assessed by means of the Multisearch Multilocation Task (MSML), Reversed Categorization Task (RevCat), and Snack Delay Task (SDT). Infant and maternal characteristics were gathered from the child's record. The developmental outcome was measured by the Bayley Scales and a multidisciplinary risk evaluation for autism.
The executive function battery was completed by 97 children. The majority were able to successfully complete the MSML and SDT but failed RevCat. The lower the gestational age and the maternal education, the lower the executive function scores. Better cognition and motor function, as well as low autism risk, were associated with better executive function scores. Executive function was not related to sex.
This cohort study provides evidence that it is feasible to assess executive function in 2-year-olds born preterm. Executive function is related to gestational age and maternal education and is positively correlated with behavioral outcome. Therefore, executive functions can be a valuable target for early intervention, resulting in improvements in neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born preterm.
本研究旨在探讨早产儿 2 岁校正年龄时的执行功能及其与胎龄、性别、母亲教育程度和神经发育结局的关系。
采用多搜索多位置任务（MSML）、反转分类任务（RevCat）和小吃延迟任务（SDT）评估执行功能。从患儿病历中收集婴儿和母亲的特征。发育结局采用贝利量表和自闭症多学科风险评估进行测量。
共有 97 名儿童完成了执行功能测试。大多数儿童能够成功完成 MSML 和 SDT，但无法完成 RevCat。胎龄和母亲教育程度越低，执行功能评分越低。更好的认知和运动功能以及较低的自闭症风险与更好的执行功能评分相关。执行功能与性别无关。
本队列研究表明，评估早产儿 2 岁时的执行功能是可行的。执行功能与胎龄和母亲教育程度有关，与行为结局呈正相关。因此，执行功能可以成为早期干预的一个有价值的目标，从而改善早产儿的神经发育结局。
