Pediatric Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Centro Clinico Nemo, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Eur J Pediatr. 2024 Nov 15;184(1):14. doi: 10.1007/s00431-024-05832-9.
This cross-sectional monocentric study aims to utilize the Early Childhood Attention Battery to investigate early attention patterns in young preterm children and ascertain the extent to which their attentional abilities diverge from those of term peers.
Inclusion criteria encompassed gestational age < 34 weeks, with assessments conducted between 3 and 5 years 11 months. Exclusion criteria included major brain lesions, significant motor or behavioral disorders, and intellectual functioning with IQ < 70. Preterm raw scores converted to scaled scores and percentiles. Frequency analysis compared preterm scores to norms. Non-parametric tests assessed significance between scaled scores and subgroups (age, gestational age, sex, birth weight).
One hundred nineteen preterm patients were enrolled in the study between November 2016 and June 2023. Comparisons with published norms showed lower mean scores across all subtests and domains for preterm children. A notable proportion of assessments (13-40%) fell below the 5th percentile, with the dual task item in sustained attention being the highest (40%). Sex did not predict differences, except for auditory sustained and visual search subtests. Gestational age did not correlate with abnormal scores, consistent with previous studies. The prevalence of assessments below the 5th percentile highlights preterm children's vulnerability to attention issues. The test's sensitivity to attention deficits in preterm populations suggests its potential in identifying at-risk children early for tailored interventions.
The battery effectively detects attentional deficits in preterm children. Early detection and targeted insights support tailored educational interventions. By focusing on specific attention skills, the battery guides clinicians in choosing individualized or group activities based on areas most affected.
• Attention is often impaired in preterm children but it is not systematically investigated before school age. The ECAB is a tool specifically designed for preschool children.
• Using the ECAB we evidenced a different level of attention between pre-term and term-born children at preschool age.
本横断面单中心研究旨在利用儿童早期注意成套测验（Early Childhood Attention Battery，ECAB）来研究早产儿的早期注意模式，并确定其注意力能力与足月婴儿的差异程度。
纳入标准为胎龄<34 周，评估时间在 3 至 5 岁 11 个月之间。排除标准包括严重的脑损伤、明显的运动或行为障碍，以及智商<70 的智力功能障碍。将早产儿的原始分数转换为量表分数和百分位数。频率分析比较了早产儿的分数与常模。非参数检验评估了量表分数与亚组（年龄、胎龄、性别、出生体重）之间的显著性差异。
2016 年 11 月至 2023 年 6 月期间，共有 119 名早产儿入组本研究。与已发表的常模比较，早产儿在所有子测试和领域的平均分数均较低。相当一部分评估（13-40%）低于第 5 百分位，其中持续性注意的双重任务项目最高（40%）。性别除了对听觉持续性和视觉搜索子测试有影响外，不能预测差异。胎龄与异常评分不相关，与以往研究一致。低于第 5 百分位的评估比例较高，突显早产儿易出现注意力问题。该测试对早产儿人群注意力缺陷的敏感性表明其具有早期识别高危儿童并进行针对性干预的潜力。
该成套测验能有效检测早产儿的注意力缺陷。早期发现和针对性的见解有助于为早产儿提供个性化的教育干预。通过关注特定的注意力技能，该测验可以为临床医生提供指导，根据受影响最严重的领域选择个体化或小组活动。
注意力在早产儿中常受损，但在学前年龄并未系统地进行调查。ECAB 是一种专为学龄前儿童设计的工具。
使用 ECAB，我们在学龄前年龄发现早产儿和足月婴儿的注意力水平存在差异。
