Visuospatial perception in children born preterm with no major neurological disorders.

Objective: Many investigations have found deficits in visuospatial perception in children born preterm, however, it is not clear whether the deficits are specific to visuospatial perception or the consequences of deficits in other functional areas, which often accompany preterm birth. This study investigated whether children born preterm show a specific deficit in visuospatial perception.

Method: Fifty-six 7- to 11-year-old preterm born children (gestational age <34 weeks) without cerebral palsy and 51 age-matched, full-term children completed four computerized tasks tapping different levels and types of visuospatial perception.

The quality of preterm infants' spontaneous movements: an early indicator of intelligence and behaviour at school age.

Background: The quality of very preterm infants' spontaneous movements at 11 to 16 weeks post-term age is a powerful predictor of their later neurological status. This study investigated whether early spontaneous movements also have predictive value for the intellectual and behavioural problems that children born very preterm often experience.

Methods: Spontaneous movement quality was assessed, using Prechtl's method, at 11 to 16 weeks post-term in 65 infants born at View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Quantitative aspects of the early motor repertoire in preterm infants: do they predict minor neurological dysfunction at school age?

Background: Qualitative aspects of the motor repertoire, at 11-16 weeks post-term are predictive for minor neurological dysfunction (MND) at 7 to 11 years of age. Predictive value of quantitative aspects is unknown so far.

Aim: To investigate whether quantitative aspects of the motor repertoire between 6 and 24 weeks post-term also have predictive value for neurological outcome at 7 to 11 years of age.

Movement adaptations in 7- to 10-year-old typically developing children: evidence for a transition in feedback-based motor control.

We used a modified double-step pointing task to study movement adaptations in 7- to 10-year-old typically developing children. We found that the majority (63%) were able to optimally adapt fast, goal-directed visually-guided movements to a late change in target location meeting the requirements of speed and accuracy. A minority (35%) failed to meet the requirement of accuracy resulting in a less optimal adaptation.

Effect of seat surface inclination on postural control during reaching in preterm children with cerebral palsy.

Background And Purpose: Because it is debatable whether seat surface inclination improves motor function in children with cerebral palsy (CP), the effect of seat surface tilting on postural control and quality of reaching was studied.

Subjects: The subjects were 58 children with CP aged 2 to 11 years (34 with unilateral spastic CP, 24 with bilateral spastic CP).

Methods: During the task of reaching movements, surface electromyographic and kinematic data were recorded for posture and reaching with the dominant arm in 3 sitting conditions: horizontal seat surface, seat surface tilted forward 15 degrees, and seat surface tilted backward 15 degrees.

Kinematic characteristics of postural control during reaching in preterm children with cerebral palsy.

The relationships between kinematic characteristics of sitting posture during reaching movements of the dominant arm and 1) the kinematics of the reaching movement itself and 2) functional performance during daily life activities (PEDI) were assessed in 51 sitting preterm children with cerebral palsy (CP). The children were 2-11 y, 33 had spastic hemiplegia (SH) and 18 bilateral CP (Bi-CP). The data were compared with those of 26 typically developing children (TD).

Kinematic characteristics of reaching movements in preterm children with cerebral palsy.

Kinematic characteristics of reaching movements of the dominant arm were assessed in 51 sitting preterm children who were aged 2-11 y and had cerebral palsy (CP), including 33 with spastic hemiplegia and 18 with bilateral CP (Bi-CP). Reference data of 29 typically developing children were present. The results indicated that the quality of reaching movements from the dominant arm of children with CP was significantly worse than that of typically developing children.

Quality of general movements and the development of minor neurological dysfunction at toddler and school age.

Objective: To evaluate the reliability of assessing infants' general movements (GMs) using a new classification and its validity in predicting complex minor neurological dysfunction (MND) at toddler and at school age.

Design: Prospective study of two groups of infants, each consisting of a mix of low-risk and high-risk infants.

Setting: University Hospital Groningen, the Netherlands.

Postural control during reaching in preterm children with cerebral palsy.

Postural control during reaching with the dominant arm was assessed in 58 preterm children with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 2 to 11 years, comprising 34 with spastic hemiplegia (17 males, 17 females) and 24 with bilateral spastic CP (bilateral CP; 15 male, 9 females). Assessments were made by multiple surface electromyogram (EMG) and kinematic recording. Mean gestational age at birth for the children with spastic hemiplegia and those with bilateral CP was 28.

Maternal rigidity in infancy and level of intelligence at school age in children born preterm.

Forty-four children who had been born preterm and their mothers participated in the follow-up study. At 3 and 14 months (corrected age) cognitive development was assessed using the BOS 2-30, the Dutch version of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. The BOS yields measures of mental and motor development.