Auditory event-related potentials are related to cognition at preschool age after very preterm birth.

BACKGROUND: Auditory event-related potentials (AERP) are neurophysiological correlates of sound perception and cognitive processes. Our aim was to study in very preterm born children at preschool age if AERP correlate with cognitive outcome. METHODS: Seventy children (mean ± SD gestational age 27.4 ± 1.9 wk, birth weight 996 ± 288 g) were investigated at age 4.3-5.3 y with psychological testing (WPPSI-R, four subtests of NEPSY). Electroencephalogram was recorded while they listened to a repeated standard tone, randomly replaced by one of three deviants. Latencies and amplitudes for AERP components and mean amplitudes in successive 50-ms AERP time windows were measured. RESULTS: Better cognitive test results and higher gestational age correlated with shorter P1 latencies and more positive mean amplitudes 150-500 ms after stimulus change onset. Neonatal brain damage was associated with a negative displacement of AERP curves. Neonatal morbidity had an impact on earlier time windows while gestational age and brain damage on both early and later time windows. CONCLUSION: AERP measures were associated with cognitive outcome. Neonatal morbidity mainly affects early cortical auditory encoding, while immaturity and brain damage additionally influence higher cortical functions of auditory perception and distraction. Perinatal auditory environment might play a role in development of auditory processing.

Mild intellectual disability and ADHD; a comparative study of school age children's adaptive abilities.

AIM: To compare adaptive functioning in children with mild intellectual disability (MID) with that of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: Thirty-three children with MID were contrasted with 27 children with ADHD with regard to adaptive functioning as measured by the Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System (ABAS-II). The group with MID was population-based, and the group with ADHD was considered representative of a clinically referred group with that diagnosis. The two groups were subdivided into those ≤11 years and those ≥12 years. RESULTS: The group with ADHD had lower adaptive functioning, but differences were not significant at total group levels. In children 12 years or older, the group with ADHD had significantly lower adaptive functioning. CONCLUSION: Older children with ADHD had poorer adaptive functioning than those with MID, a finding which should be of interest to school and other authorities mapping out education and intervention plans for children with special needs.