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Title
Retinopathy Of Prematurity, Hypoxic Stress, And Neuropsychological Outcome Of Preschool-Age Children
Access Type
WSU Access
Date of Award
January 2017
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Sarah Raz
Abstract
ABSTRACT
RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY, HYPOXIC STRESS, AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOME OF PRESCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN
by
ALLYSSA MORGAN MATTES
November 2017
Advisor: Dr. Sarah Raz
Major: Psychology (Clinical, Neuropsychology)
Degree: Master of Arts
Objective: Preterm children experience heightened risk of neonatal complications including retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a vasoproliferative disorder of the retina known to adversely affect vision. Because ROP is associated with the incidence of intermittent hypoxemic episodes occurring during stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), we reasoned that after controlling general perinatal and demographic risk factors, grade of ROP will be inversely related to neuropsychological performance.
Participants and Methods: ROP screening was conducted during NICU stay for children at-risk (N=124). Preterm preschoolers (3-6 years) were assessed with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-R), Preschool Language Scales (PLS-3), NEPSY-2, and Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS-2). Cases of severe intracranial bleeds or cerebral palsy were excluded.
Results: Mixed multiple regression analyses revealed that grade of ROP (0 - 4) explained a unique portion of the variance in FSIQ (Z = -1.97; p = .049) and Verbal IQ (Z = -2.05; p = .040), after adjustment for gestational age, days of mechanical ventilation, appropriateness of birth weight for gestational age, the sum of perinatal medical complications, socioeconomic status, and sex.
Conclusion: Grade of ROP was found to be linked to verbal intellectual performance at preschool age. This relationship cannot easily be explained by ROP-associated visual impairment and is consistent with reports that have linked ROP to the incidence of intermittent hypoxemic episodes in the preterm infant.
Recommended Citation
Mattes, Allyssa Morgan, "Retinopathy Of Prematurity, Hypoxic Stress, And Neuropsychological Outcome Of Preschool-Age Children" (2017). Wayne State University Theses. 630.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_theses/630