Children born with very low birth weight show difficulties with sustained attention but not response inhibition.
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1
University of Melbourne, School of Psychological Sciences, Australia
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2
Lucena Clinic, Ireland
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3
University College Dublin, School of Psychology, Ireland
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4
City College of New York, Department of Biomedical Engineering, United States
Children born with very low birth weight (VLBW) perform poorly on executive function batteries, showing difficulties on tasks measuring response inhibition, task switching, working memory, verbal fluency and concept generation. Impairments have also been shown on attention measures, including difficulties with selective, sustained, shifting and divided attention control. Previous sustained attention research on children with VLBW has used tasks that have methodological problems. Any difficulties with sustained attention may underpin problematic performances on tasks measuring higher-order cognitive control. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of VLBW and normal birth weight (NBW) children on a well-controlled task of sustained attention. The Fixed and Random versions of the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) were given to 17 VLBW and 18 NBW children. The response time data were analysed using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), to define fast- and slow-frequency contributions to overall response variability. The VLBW group performed the Fixed and Random SARTs in a similar manner as the NBW group on all measures except for the omission error and Slow Frequency Area under the Spectra (SFAUS) variables on the Fixed SART. These measures index lapses in sustained attention. The VLBW group showed no response inhibition deficits. Omission error and SFAUS measures are sensitive measures of behaviour associated with premature birth and low birth weight and may mark difficulties with sustained attention and arousal during a predictable, taxing task.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge Dr Martin White, Dr Margaret Sheridan and Niamh O'Connor for their assistance with the study.
Keywords:
Attention,
low birth weight,
sustained attention,
omission errors,
response time variability
Conference:
ACNS-2013 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Society Conference, Clayton, Melbourne, Australia, 28 Nov - 1 Dec, 2013.
Presentation Type:
Oral
Topic:
Attention
Citation:
Johnson
KA,
Healy
E,
Dooley
B,
Kelly
SP and
McNicholas
F
(2013). Children born with very low birth weight show difficulties with sustained attention but not response inhibition..
Conference Abstract:
ACNS-2013 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Society Conference.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2013.212.00133
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Received:
15 Oct 2013;
Published Online:
25 Nov 2013.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Katherine A Johnson, University of Melbourne, School of Psychological Sciences, Melbourne, Australia, kajo@unimelb.edu.au