Article

Children born extremely preterm are at risk of visual processing problems
related to brain damage. Damage in visual pathways can remain undetected by
conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional consequences cannot
always be predicted. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of
processing visual information in infants born extremely preterm at a corrected
age of 1 year using a communication-free visual function test based on eye
tracking. METHOD:
Infants born extremely preterm
(<29wks' gestation) without
apparent white and grey matter damage on conventional MRI at 30 weeks'
postmenstrual age were included (19 males, 1.01y [0.96-1.24] (median [25th-75th
centiles]); 11 females, 0.99y [0.98-1.01]). At the corrected age of 1 year,
reaction times to fixation (RTF) of specific visual properties displayed on an
eye-tracker monitor were quantified and compared with results from a comparison
group (eight males, 1.28y [1.01-1.33]; nine females, 1.10y [0.90-1.20]). RESULTS:
The infants in the preterm group had longer response times in detecting colour
patterns (red-green) and motion compared with infants in the comparison group. No
impairments were detected in oculomotor functions (saccades, pursuit, and
fixations). INTERPRETATION: The data suggest that delays in processing visual
information can be identified in children born extremely preterm. The delays
might be ascribed to deficits in neuronal connectivity in visual pathways at a
microstructural level.
CI - (c) 2016 Mac Keith Press.

Langue : ANGLAIS