Yoshimura Yuko, Mitani Yusuke, Ikeda Takashi, Tanaka Sanae, Suda Momoka, Yaoi Ken, Hasegawa Chiaki, An Kyung-Min, Iwasaki Sumie, Kumazaki Hirokazu, Saito Daisuke N, Ohta Hidenobu, Ando Akiko, Cho Kazutoshi, Kikuchi Mitsuru, Wada Taizo
Institute of Human and Social Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan.
Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa, 920-8640, Japan.
Pediatr Res. 2025 Jan;97(1):120-127. doi: 10.1038/s41390-024-03270-9. Epub 2024 Jun 21.
Children born with very low birth weight (VLBW) are at higher risk for cognitive impairment, including language deficits and sensorimotor difficulties. Voice-evoked response (P1m), which has been suggested as a language development biomarker in young children, remains unexplored for its efficacy in VLBW children. Furthermore, the relation between P1m and sensory difficulties in VLBW children remains unclear.
40 children with VLBW were recruited at 5-to-6 years old (26 male, 14 female, mean age of months ± SD, 80.0 ± 4.9). We measured their voice-evoked brain response using child-customized magnetoencephalography (MEG) and examined the relation between P1m and language conceptual inference ability and sensory characteristics.
The final sample comprised 36 children (23 boys, 13 girls; ages 61-86 months; gestational ages 24-36 weeks). As a result of multiple regression analysis, voice-evoked P1m in the left hemisphere was correlated significantly with language ability (β = 0.414 P = 0.015) and sensory hypersensitivity (β = 0.471 P = 0.005).
Our findings indicate that the relation between P1m and language conceptual inference ability observed in term children in earlier studies is replicated in VLBW children, and suggests P1m intensity as a biomarker of sensory sensitivity characteristics.
We investigated brain functions related to language development and sensory problems in very low birth-weight children. In very low birth weight children at early school age, brain responses to human voices are associated with language conceptual inference ability and sensory hypersensitivity. These findings promote a physiological understanding of both language development and sensory characteristics in very low birth weight children.
极低出生体重（VLBW）儿出现认知障碍的风险更高，包括语言缺陷和感觉运动困难。语音诱发反应（P1m）被认为是幼儿语言发育的生物标志物，但其在极低出生体重儿中的有效性尚未得到研究。此外，极低出生体重儿中P1m与感觉困难之间的关系仍不明确。
招募了40名5至6岁的极低出生体重儿（男26名，女14名，平均月龄±标准差，80.0±4.9）。我们使用儿童定制的脑磁图（MEG）测量了他们的语音诱发脑反应，并研究了P1m与语言概念推理能力和感觉特征之间的关系。
最终样本包括36名儿童（男23名，女13名；年龄61 - 86个月；胎龄24 - 36周）。多元回归分析结果显示，左半球语音诱发的P1m与语言能力（β = 0.414，P = 0.015）和感觉超敏反应（β = 0.471，P = 0.005）显著相关。
我们的研究结果表明，早期研究中在足月儿中观察到的P1m与语言概念推理能力之间的关系在极低出生体重儿中也得到了验证，并提示P1m强度可作为感觉敏感特征的生物标志物。
我们研究了极低出生体重儿与语言发育和感觉问题相关的脑功能。在低龄学龄期的极低出生体重儿中，对人类声音的脑反应与语言概念推理能力和感觉超敏反应有关。这些发现促进了对极低出生体重儿语言发育和感觉特征的生理学理解。
