Open AccessExecutive and non-executive functions in low birthweight/preterm adolescents with differing temporal patterns of inattention
Author(s) -
Marisa Spann,
Anna E. Silberman,
Judith F. Feldman,
Steven J. Korzeniewski,
J. Blake Turner,
Agnes H. Whitaker
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0231648
Subject(s) - executive functions , psychology , executive summary , developmental psychology , cognition , medicine , biology , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology
Objective This study assesses whether low birthweight/preterm (LBW/PT) adolescents with persistent inattention (PIA) have neuropsychological deficits that distinguish them from adolescents with school age limited inattention (SAL) and those largely unaffected (UA). Method Three latent classes (PIA, SAL, UA), derived from an earlier analysis of a LBW/PT birth cohort were compared on non-executive and executive functioning measures assessed at age 16. Results The PIA class displayed the poorest performance on executive functioning, which was exaggerated in the context of lower IQ. The PIA and the SAL classes had poorer performance on non-executive functioning relative to the UA class. Both types of functioning mediated the relationship of class to school service use and grade retention. Conclusion Neuropsychological impairment characterizes children and adolescents with inattention problems. Problems in executive functioning characterize the subset whose inattention persists through adolescence. Subsequent research can examine the potential for remediating these deficits to address academic and social problems.