title: Visual perception and visual-motor integration in very preterm and/or very low birth weight children: a meta-analysis.
abstract: A range of neurobehavioral impairments, including impaired visual perception and visual-motor integration, are found in very preterm born children, but reported findings show great variability. We aimed to aggregate the existing literature using meta-analysis, in order to provide robust estimates of the effect of very preterm birth on visual perceptive and visual-motor integration abilities. Very preterm born children showed deficits in visual-spatial abilities (medium to large effect sizes) but not in visual closure perception. Tests reporting broad visual perceptive indices showed inconclusive results. In addition, impaired visual-motor integration was found (medium effect size), particularly in boys compared to girls. The observed visual-spatial and visual-motor integration deficits may arise from affected occipital-parietal-frontal neural circuitries.
authors: Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. c.j.a.geldof@vu.nl
authors: C J A
authors: CJ
authors: Geldof
authors: A G
authors: AG
authors: van Wassenaer
authors: J F
authors: JF
authors: de Kieviet
authors: J H
authors: JH
authors: Kok
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Oosterlaan
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*