Inter- and intra-modal matching in very low birth weight and small for gestational age adolescents

Evensen, Kari Anne Indredavik; Sigmundsson, Hermundur; Romundstad, Pål; Indredavik, Marit S.; Brubakk, Ann-Mari; Vik, Torstein

doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2006.03.015

« Previous Next »Early Human Development
Volume 83, Issue 1 , Pages 19-27, January 2007

Inter- and intra-modal matching in very low birth weight and small for gestational age adolescents☆

Kari Anne Indredavik Evensen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norway
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Corresponding author. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, St. Olavs Hospital HF, N-7006 Trondheim, Norway.
Hermundur Sigmundsson
- Department of Sociology and Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management, Norway
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Pål Romundstad
- Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norway
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Marit S. Indredavik
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norway
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Ann-Mari Brubakk
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norway
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Torstein Vik
- Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norway
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

Accepted 23 March 2006.

Abstract

Background

Motor problems in low birth weight children may be related to problems in sensorimotor integration processes. Specific tests of inter- and intra-modal matching have not been used in low birth weight populations.

Aim

Examine whether low birth weight adolescents have poorer performance in inter- and intra-modal matching than normal birth weight adolescents.

Study design

A population based follow up study of very low birth weight and small for gestational age children at 14 years of age.

Subjects

Fifty-three very low birth weight adolescents (VLBW: birth weight ≤1500 g), 59 term small for gestational age (SGA: birth weight <10th centile) and 82 adolescents with birth weight ≥10th centile at term (reference group).

Outcome measures

Inter- and intra-modal matching was assessed by a manual matching task and results were presented for the preferred and the non-preferred hand in the visual (inter-modal) and proprioceptive (intra-modal) condition.

Results

VLBW adolescents performed poorer in inter- and intra-modal matching compared with the reference group. However, the results were mainly due to a higher number of adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) and a low estimated intelligence quotient (IQ_est) in the VLBW group. SGA adolescents showed poorer performance with their non-preferred hand compared with their preferred hand in both inter- and intra-modal matching, whereas adolescents in the reference group and VLBW adolescents with normal IQ_est and without CP performed equally well with both hands.

Conclusion

VLBW adolescents with normal IQ_est and without CP do not have major problems in inter- and intra-modal matching. The poorer performance with the non-preferred hand in the SGA group may suggest a specific effect of intrauterine growth retardation.

Keywords: Adolescent, Inter- and intra-modal matching, Manual matching task, Small for Gestational Age, Very Low Birth Weight