title: Neonatal Intensive-Care Unit Graduates Show Persistent Difficulties in an Intra-Dimensional Shift Card Sort.
abstract: Neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU) graduates, a group at risk for attention problems and ADHD, performed an intra-dimensional shift card sort at 34, 42, 51, and 60 months to assess executive function and to examine effects of individual risk factors. In the 'silly' game, children sorted cards (airplanes and dogs) so they werenotthe same as targets. In the 'same' game they did the opposite. Performance on the 'silly' game was poor, especially when it was presented first. Success in following 'silly' game rules improved with age, and was significantly linked to maternal education and birth weight for gestational age, a measure of intrauterine stress. Degree of CNS injury differentiated children who completed the task from children who did not, and also affected the need to repeat instructions in the 'same' game. These results confirm an increased likelihood of impairments in executive function during preschool years in NICU graduates.
authors.affiliation: New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities.
authors.forename: Phyllis M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Kittler
authors.affiliation: College of Staten Island and the Graduate Center of City University of New York.
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.affiliation: New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities and Richmond University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Bernard Z
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Karmel
authors.affiliation: New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities and Richmond University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Judith M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.affiliation: New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities and Richmond University Medical Center.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Flory