This comprehensive longitudinal study explored for the first time the interrelations between neonatal brainstem abnormalities, focused attention (FA), and learning—following a preterm cohort (N = 175; 46.3% female; predominantly White) from birth (2003–2006) to 17 years. The findings indicated that FA during early childhood was associated with language outcomes in toddlerhood (n = 131) and academic and attention self‐report indices in late adolescence (n = 44). Pilot assessments indicated that FA at 17 years (n = 25) was also associated with concurrent academic and attention functioning. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that neonatal brainstem functioning, manifested in auditory brainstem response patterns, was associated with early‐life FA competence, which affected learning development. Implications underscore the essential role of early brainstem function and FA in shaping childhood learning trajectories.

中文翻译：

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集中注意力在从幼儿期到青春期后期学习中的作用：早产后新生儿脑干受损的影响


这项全面的纵向研究首次探讨了新生儿脑干异常、注意力集中 (FA) 和学习之间的相互关系——跟踪早产儿队列（N = 175；46.3% 女性；主要是白人）从出生（2003-2006 年）到 17 岁年。研究结果表明，幼儿期的 FA 与幼儿期的语言结果 (n = 131) 以及青春期后期的学业和注意力自我报告指数 (n = 44) 相关。试点评估表明，17 岁时（n = 25）的 FA 也与同时进行的学业和注意力功能相关。结构方程模型分析表明，新生儿脑干功能（表现为听觉脑干反应模式）与早期 FA 能力相关，而 FA 能力影响学习发展。研究结果强调了早期脑干功能和 FA 在塑造儿童学习轨迹方面的重要作用。