Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40668867›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Selective attention and working memory in young adults born very preterm.

Taylor Mills, Leona Pascoe, Megan Spencer-Smith, Thi-Nhu-Ngoc Nguyen, Peter J Anderson

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

5 authors.

Taylor MillsSchool of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0727-7014
Leona PascoeSchool of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Megan Spencer-SmithSchool of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Thi-Nhu-Ngoc NguyenClinical Sciences, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
Peter J AndersonSchool of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionResearch has consistently reported that individuals born very preterm (VP; < 32 weeks' gestation) are at increased risk for reduced working memory (WM) performance compared with their term born peers. However, performance on working memory tasks are reliant on several cognitive skills, including selective attention, and the underlying mechanism for poorer working memory following VP birth remains unclear. The current study aimed to assess the impact of selective attention on working memory performance in young adults born VP compared with those born at term, using an experimental task (i.e., visuospatial change detection task).

methodParticipants were 111 young adults born VP (mean age: 20.1 years) and 43 young adults born at term (mean age: 19.9 years). They completed an adapted visuospatial change detection task which assessed working memory maintenance with increasing levels of selective attention demands.

resultsThe VP group demonstrated slightly poorer performance in working memory compared with the term born group when selective attention demands were minimal. The working memory group difference did not increase with the introduction of greater selective attention demands.

conclusionBased on these findings, reductions in working memory performance in those born VP compared with term born controls are unlikely to be explained by selective attention challenges. This study has important clinical implications such that it provides important insights and evidence into the cognitive development of those born VP as they begin to reach adulthood. Further, this research study further the cognitive phenotype of this population, which, in turn, may aid in the development of efficacious cognitive interventions for this high-risk group.

Indexed as

AttentionInfant, Extremely PrematureMemory, Short-TermAdolescentAdultCognitionFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornMaleYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID40668867
PMCPMC12266442

What OpenQuestion 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 OpenQuestion graph.