Orientation and motion-specific visual cortex responses in infants born preterm.
Orientation-specific cortical responses develop earlier in infancy than motion-specific responses. The maturation of orientation-reversal and direction-reversal visual evoked potentials was evaluated in 17 healthy, low risk, preterm infants (born <32 weeks gestation), compared with a group of 26 infants born at term. Both groups were studied at a corrected age of 2-4 months. The age function and magnitude of the orientation-reversal responses was similar in the two groups. Direction-reversal responses across the age range, however, were smaller in the preterm infants, suggesting a delayed maturation of motion processing. Reasons for the vulnerability of motion processing are discussed; the results may reflect anomalies of white matter development in preterm infants that are undetected by ultrasonography.
Birtles
Deirdre B
DB
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Braddick
Oliver J
OJ
Wattam-Bell
John
J
Wilkinson
Andrew R
AR
Atkinson
Janette
J
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development