title: Deficits in vision and visual attention associated with motor performance of very preterm/very low birth weight children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To extend understanding of impaired motor functioning of very preterm (VP)/very low birth weight (VLBW) children by investigating its relationship with visual attention, visual and visual-motor functioning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Motor functioning (Movement Assessment Battery for Children, MABC-2; Manual Dexterity, Aiming & Catching, and Balance component), as well as visual attention (attention network and visual search tests), vision (oculomotor, visual sensory and perceptive functioning), visual-motor integration (Beery Visual Motor Integration), and neurological status (Touwen examination) were comprehensively assessed in a sample of 106 5.5-year-old VP/VLBW children. Stepwise linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate multivariate associations between deficits in visual attention, oculomotor, visual sensory, perceptive and visual-motor integration functioning, abnormal neurological status, neonatal risk factors, and MABC-2 scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Abnormal MABC-2 Total or component scores occurred in 23-36% of VP/VLBW children. Visual and visual-motor functioning accounted for 9-11% of variance in MABC-2 Total, Manual Dexterity and Balance scores. Visual perceptive deficits only were associated with Aiming & Catching. Abnormal neurological status accounted for an additional 19-30% of variance in MABC-2 Total, Manual Dexterity and Balance scores, and 5% of variance in Aiming & Catching, and neonatal risk factors for 3-6% of variance in MABC-2 Total, Manual Dexterity and Balance scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Motor functioning is weakly associated with visual and visual-motor integration deficits and moderately associated with abnormal neurological status, indicating that motor performance reflects long term vulnerability following very preterm birth, and that visual deficits are of minor importance in understanding motor functioning of VP/VLBW children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorstraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Royal Dutch Visio, Centre of Expertise for Blind and Partially Sighted People, Hettenheuvelweg 41-43, 1101 BM Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: c.j.a.geldof@vu.nl.
authors.forename: Christiaan J A
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Geldof
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Academic Medical Centre, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Janeline W P
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: van Hus
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Academic Medical Centre, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeukens-Visser
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Academic Medical Centre, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frans
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nollet
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Emma Children's Hospital Academic Medical Centre, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joke H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kok
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorstraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Emma Children's Hospital Academic Medical Centre, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jaap
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oosterlaan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Emma Children's Hospital Academic Medical Centre, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aleid G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: van Wassenaer-Leemhuis
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D062071:Infant, Extremely Premature; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Motor functioning; Neurocognitive outcome; Preterm birth; Very low birth weight; Vision; Visual attention