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Effects of gestational age at birth on cognitive performance : a function of cognitive workload demands
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Baumann, Nicole, Jaekel, Julia and Wolke, Dieter (2013) Effects of gestational age at birth on cognitive performance : a function of cognitive workload demands. PLoS One, Volume 8 (Number 5). Article number e65219. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0065219 ISSN 1932-6203.
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WRAP_Wolke_journal.pone.0065219.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (406Kb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0065219
Abstract
Objective: Cognitive deficits have been inconsistently described for late or moderately preterm children but are consistently found in very preterm children. This study investigates the association between cognitive workload demands of tasks and cognitive performance in relation to gestational age at birth.
Methods: Data were collected as part of a prospective geographically defined whole-population study of neonatal at-risk children in Southern Bavaria. At 8;5 years, n = 1326 children (gestation range: 23–41 weeks) were assessed with the K-ABC and a Mathematics Test.
Results: Cognitive scores of preterm children decreased as cognitive workload demands of tasks increased. The relationship between gestation and task workload was curvilinear and more pronounced the higher the cognitive workload: GA2 (quadratic term) on low cognitive workload: R2 = .02, p<0.001; moderate cognitive workload: R2 = .09, p<0.001; and high cognitive workload tasks: R2 = .14, p<0.001. Specifically, disproportionally lower scores were found for very (<32 weeks gestation) and moderately (32–33 weeks gestation) preterm children the higher the cognitive workload of the tasks. Early biological factors such as gestation and neonatal complications explained more of the variance in high (12.5%) compared with moderate (8.1%) and low cognitive workload tasks (1.7%).
Conclusions: The cognitive workload model may help to explain variations of findings on the relationship of gestational age with cognitive performance in the literature. The findings have implications for routine cognitive follow-up, educational intervention, and basic research into neuro-plasticity and brain reorganization after preterm birth.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
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Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics |
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Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences > Mental Health and Wellbeing Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Psychology Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School |
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Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Pregnancy -- Duration, Premature infants, Premature infants -- Development , Cognition in newborn infants, Newborn infants -- Psychology, Cognition in infants, Neonatology, Attention in newborn infants, Gestational age | ||||
Journal or Publication Title: | PLoS One | ||||
Publisher: | Public Library of Science | ||||
ISSN: | 1932-6203 | ||||
Official Date: | 23 May 2013 | ||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | Volume 8 | ||||
Number: | Number 5 | ||||
Page Range: | Article number e65219 | ||||
DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0065219 | ||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||
Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) | ||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 24 December 2015 | ||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 24 December 2015 | ||||
Funder: | Germany. Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) | ||||
Grant number: | PKE24, JUG14, 01EP9504, 01ER0801 (BMBF); JA 1913 (DFG) |
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