title: Orientation and motion-specific visual cortex responses in infants born preterm.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Deirdre B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Birtles
authors.forename: Oliver J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Braddick
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wattam-Bell
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: Janette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atkinson
mesh_terms: 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