Camerota Marie, Castellanos Francisco Xavier, Carter Brian S, Check Jennifer, Helderman Jennifer, Hofheimer Julie A, McGowan Elisabeth C, Neal Charles R, Pastyrnak Steven L, Smith Lynne M, O'Shea Thomas Michael, Marsit Carmen J, Lester Barry M
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.
Pediatr Res. 2025 Apr 9. doi: 10.1038/s41390-025-04050-9.
Children born very preterm (VPT) are at high risk for attention problems. This study's purpose was to describe the Conners Kiddie Continuous Performance Test (K-CPT) assessment in children born VPT, including rates of clinically elevated scores, change over time, and associations between K-CPT scores and parent reported attention problems.
We studied 305 children from a multi-site study of children born VPT who completed at least one K-CPT assessment at age 5, 6, and/or 7 years. Parent-reported ADHD symptoms and diagnosis were also collected. We calculated K-CPT completion rates, mean scores, and rates of clinically elevated scores at each timepoint. Linear mixed models examined change over time in K-CPT scores. Correlations and generalized linear models investigated associations between K-CPT scores and ADHD symptoms and diagnoses.
K-CPT scores showed expected age-related improvements from age 5-7, with significant intra- and inter-individual variability. Up to 1/3 of children had clinically elevated attention problems and another 1/3 had subclinical elevations. K-CPT scores were modestly correlated with parent-rated ADHD symptoms and children with a parent-reported ADHD diagnosis performed worse on nearly all K-CPT metrics.
Performance-based measures like the K-CPT can be useful for research and clinical practice in VPT populations.
Attention problems are a specific area of weakness for children born very preterm. Performance-based tests of attention have benefits and drawbacks compared to parent report measures yet are understudied in this population. We examined one performance-based measure (the Conners Kiddie Continuous Performance Test [K-CPT]) in 305 children born very preterm. We observed improving task scores from age 5-7 years with significant intra- and inter-individual variability, a sizable proportion of children with clinically and subclinically elevated scores, and modest associations between K-CPT scores and parent reported attention problems. The K-CPT could be a useful clinical and research tool in this population.
极早产儿（VPT）出生的儿童存在注意力问题的高风险。本研究的目的是描述极早产儿出生儿童的康纳斯儿童连续性能测试（K-CPT）评估，包括临床升高分数的比率、随时间的变化，以及K-CPT分数与家长报告的注意力问题之间的关联。
我们对一项多中心研究中的305名极早产儿出生儿童进行了研究，这些儿童在5岁、6岁和/或7岁时至少完成了一次K-CPT评估。还收集了家长报告的注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）症状和诊断。我们计算了每个时间点的K-CPT完成率、平均分数和临床升高分数的比率。线性混合模型检查了K-CPT分数随时间的变化。相关性和广义线性模型研究了K-CPT分数与ADHD症状和诊断之间的关联。
K-CPT分数显示出从5岁到7岁预期的与年龄相关的改善，个体内和个体间存在显著差异。高达1/3的儿童存在临床升高的注意力问题，另有1/3存在亚临床升高。K-CPT分数与家长评定的ADHD症状适度相关，家长报告有ADHD诊断的儿童在几乎所有K-CPT指标上表现更差。
像K-CPT这样基于表现的测量方法对极早产儿人群的研究和临床实践可能有用。
注意力问题是极早产儿出生儿童的一个特定薄弱领域。与家长报告的测量方法相比，基于表现的注意力测试有优点也有缺点，但在该人群中研究较少。我们对305名极早产儿出生儿童进行了一项基于表现的测量方法（康纳斯儿童连续性能测试[K-CPT]）的研究。我们观察到从5岁到7岁任务分数有所改善，个体内和个体间存在显著差异，相当比例的儿童临床和亚临床分数升高，以及K-CPT分数与家长报告的注意力问题之间存在适度关联。K-CPT可能是该人群中一种有用的临床和研究工具。
