Auditory event-related potentials at preschool age in children born very preterm.
OBJECTIVE
To assess auditory event-related potentials at preschool age in children born very preterm (VP, 27.4 ± 1.9 gestational weeks, n=70) with a high risk of cognitive dysfunction.


METHODS
We used an oddball paradigm consisting of a standard tone randomly replaced by one of three infrequent deviants (differing in frequency, sound direction or duration).


RESULTS
The P1 and N2 latencies were inversely correlated to age (50-63 months) both in VP (r=-0.451, p<0.001, and r=-0.305, p=0.01, respectively) and term born controls (TC; n=15). VP children had smaller P1 than near-term (n=12) or TC (1.70 ± 0.17 μV vs 2.68 ± 0.41 and 2.92 ± 0.43, respectively; p<0.05). Mismatch negativity response did not differ between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest a fast maturation of P1 and N2 responses with fast decrease in P1 and N2 latencies around the age of 5 years. Mismatch negativity response does not seem to be a robust measure for defining abnormalities in VP children.


CONCLUSIONS
In ERP studies in preschool children, even small, non-significant group differences in age at recording should be corrected for. Very preterm born children at preschool age have aERP patterns as earlier described in full-term born children with cognitive deficits.
Department of Clinical Sciences, Pediatrics, Lund University and Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: holger.hovel@med.lu.se.
Holger
H
Hövel
Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Cognitive Science, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Music Research, University of Jyväskylä, Helsinki, Finland.
Eino
E
Partanen
Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Cognitive Science, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Music Research, University of Jyväskylä, Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
Minna
M
Huotilainen
Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Magnus
M
Lindgren
Department of Clinical Sciences, Neurophysiology, Lund University and Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Ingmar
I
Rosén
Department of Clinical Sciences, Pediatrics, Lund University and Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden; Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Vineta
V
Fellman
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male
Cognitive disorders; Event-related potential (ERP); Maturation; Mismatch negativity (MMN); N1; P2; Very premature infant