title: The development of selective attention and inhibition in NICU graduates during the preschool years.
abstract: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates have a higher incidence of attention problems including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Thus, we examined the effect of risk factors (birth weight (BW), central nervous system (CNS) injury, gender, maternal education) on attention/inhibition during reaction time, continuous performance and Go/No-Go tasks at 42, 51, and 60 months (n = 271). Very low BW NICU graduates (<1,500 g) performed worse than typical BW ones (>2,500 g), displaying poorer target/non-target discrimination. Males responded faster than females, but made more false alarms and random responses. Despite short duration tasks, attention waned. Performance improved with age, but even at 60 months children had difficulty inhibiting random responding.
authors: NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314, USA. pkittler@gmail.com
authors: Phyllis M
authors: PM
authors: Kittler
authors: Judith M
authors: JM
authors: Gardner
authors: Elizabeth M
authors: EM
authors: Lennon
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Flory
authors: Linda C
authors: LC
authors: Mayes
authors: Bernard Z
authors: BZ
authors: Karmel
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors