Inter- and intra-modal matching in very low birth weight and small for gestational age adolescents.
BACKGROUND
Motor problems in low birth weight children may be related to problems in sensorimotor integration processes. Specific tests of inter- and intra-modal matching have not been used in low birth weight populations.


OBJECTIVE
Examine whether low birth weight adolescents have poorer performance in inter- and intra-modal matching than normal birth weight adolescents.


METHODS
A population based follow up study of very low birth weight and small for gestational age children at 14 years of age.


METHODS
Fifty-three very low birth weight adolescents (VLBW: birth weight < or =1500 g), 59 term small for gestational age (SGA: birth weight <10th centile) and 82 adolescents with birth weight > or =10th centile at term (reference group).


METHODS
Inter- and intra-modal matching was assessed by a manual matching task and results were presented for the preferred and the non-preferred hand in the visual (inter-modal) and proprioceptive (intra-modal) condition.


RESULTS
VLBW adolescents performed poorer in inter- and intra-modal matching compared with the reference group. However, the results were mainly due to a higher number of adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) and a low estimated intelligence quotient (IQ(est)) in the VLBW group. SGA adolescents showed poorer performance with their non-preferred hand compared with their preferred hand in both inter- and intra-modal matching, whereas adolescents in the reference group and VLBW adolescents with normal IQ(est) and without CP performed equally well with both hands.


CONCLUSIONS
VLBW adolescents with normal IQ(est) and without CP do not have major problems in inter- and intra-modal matching. The poorer performance with the non-preferred hand in the SGA group may suggest a specific effect of intrauterine growth retardation.
Evensen
Kari Anne Indredavik
KA
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norway. karianne.i.evensen@ntnu.no
Sigmundsson
Hermundur
H
Romundstad
Pål
P
Indredavik
Marit S
MS
Brubakk
Ann-Mari
AM
Vik
Torstein
T
D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000503:physiopathology; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics