Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39920404›Full record

ArticlePediatric research2025

Visuospatial outcomes of a prospective national cohort of young adults with very low birthweight.

Sarah L Harris, Lianne J Woodward, L John Horwood, Tracy R Melzer, Samudragupta Bora, Maddie Pascoe, Brian A Darlow

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Sarah L HarrisDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. sarah.harris@otago.ac.nz.
Lianne J WoodwardSchool of Health Sciences & Canterbury Child Development Research Group, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
L John HorwoodDepartment of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Tracy R MelzerNew Zealand Brian Research Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Samudragupta BoraDepartment of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Maddie PascoeNew Zealand Brian Research Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Brian A DarlowDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVisuospatial processing is reportedly impaired in children born very preterm (VP) compared with full term (FT) controls but there are few data for VP adults.

methodsAt 26-30 years, 225 very low birthweight (VLBW) adults (70% national cohort survivors) and 100 FT controls were assessed on motor-dependent visuospatial skills using the Block Design subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, and nonmotor-dependent skills by the Benton Judgment of Line Orientation and Brixton Spatial Anticipation tests. A composite score was created by summing standardized scores for the three tests. MRI measures of cortical volume, thickness and surface area were obtained for 150 VLBW participants.

resultsVLBW born adults performed less well than controls across all visuospatial measures and their composite score (P < 0.001), with moderate to large effect sizes (Cohen's ds = 0.41-0.82). Between group differences were not explained by current vision impairment, cerebral palsy, sex, ethnicity or socio-demographic factors. The unadjusted visuospatial composite score was significantly correlated with reduced cortical surface area and cortical volume, but few correlations remained significant after adjustment for age, sex and intracranial volume.

conclusionThe visuospatial functioning of adults born VLBW is significantly poorer than their FT peers with only modest associations with cortical brain structure. IMPACT: Previous reports have shown very preterm children have impaired visuospatial processing compared with term-born peers but only limited data address whether these impairments persist into adulthood. Visuospatial functioning, assessed by both motor and non-motor dependent tests, of adults born very low birthweight is significantly poorer than that of term-born peers. Poorer visuospatial functioning in this very low birthweight cohort is not explained by vision impairment and had only modest associations with cranial MRI brain structure. Persisting visuospatial impairment in very preterm adults may significantly impact quality of life. Early recognition of these difficulties could facilitate support strategies to improve outcomes.

Indexed as

Infant, Very Low Birth WeightSpace PerceptionAdultCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleProspective Studies

Identifiers

PMID39920404
PMCPMC12602344

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.