Background This study examines cognitive functioning in adults born across the range of prematurity with appropriate or small for gestational age (SGA) birth weight compared with full-term controls. Methods ESTER Preterm Birth Study participants without severe disabilities, comprising 133 early preterm (<34 weeks, 17% SGA), 241 late preterm (34 + 0–36 + 6 weeks, 13% SGA), and 348 full-term subjects, performed the Cogstate® test at a mean age of 23.3 (SD = 1.2) years. Subtests measured paired associate learning, psychomotor function, executive function, spatial memory efficiency, visual memory, attention, working memory, visual learning, and emotional cognition. Data were analyzed with linear regression, full models adjusted for prenatal and postnatal factors and socioeconomic position. Results Early preterm, late preterm, and full-term participants showed similar abilities in almost all subtests. Early preterm participants had 0.6 fewer moves/10 s (95% CI: −1.0; −0.2, full model) and late preterm and SGA participants had 1.3 fewer moves/10 s (95% CI: −2.1; −0.4) than full-term controls in the Groton Maze Learning Test, indicating weaker spatial memory efficiency. Conclusions Adults born across the range of prematurity on average lack major defects in cognitive abilities. Cognitive problems may persist to adulthood only among those born the smallest: very preterm or preterm and SGA. Impact Although preterm birth is a risk for the developing brain, adults born preterm as a group showed similar cognitive performance to their full-term peers. Children born preterm across gestational ages show defects in cognitive domains. With a supportive environment, many of them have the potential to catch up with those born at term. The unfavorable effect of late preterm birth on cognitive functions in childhood may not persist to adulthood; in this study, adults born late preterm showed similar cognitive functioning to adults born full-term. The deficits in cognitive function in adults born preterm detected by earlier studies mainly concern those born the smallest, i.e., very preterm or preterm and small for gestational age.

中文翻译：

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早产成人的反应时间、学习和执行功能

背景 本研究检查了与足月对照相比，出生体重适当或小于胎龄 (SGA) 的早产儿出生的成年人的认知功能。方法 无严重残疾的 ESTER 早产研究参与者，包括 133 名早期早产（<34 周，17% SGA）、241 名晚期早产（34 + 0–36 + 6 周，13% SGA）和 348 名足月受试者Cogstate® 测试的平均年龄为 23.3 (SD = 1.2) 岁。子测试测量配对学习、心理运动功能、执行功能、空间记忆效率、视觉记忆、注意力、工作记忆、视觉学习和情绪认知。使用线性回归分析数据，根据产前和产后因素以及社会经济地位调整完整模型。结果早期早产，晚期早产，和足月参与者在几乎所有的子测试中都表现出相似的能力。早期早产参与者每 10 秒少走 0.6 次（95% CI：-1.0；-0.2，完整模型），晚期早产和 SGA 参与者每 10 秒少走 1.3 次（95％CI：-2.1；-0.4）格罗顿迷宫学习测试中的 -term 控制，表明空间记忆效率较弱。结论 平均而言，早产儿出生的成年人在认知能力方面没有重大缺陷。认知问题可能仅在出生最小的人中持续到成年：非常早产或早产和 SGA。影响 虽然早产对发育中的大脑来说是一种风险，但早产的成年人作为一个群体表现出与足月同龄人相似的认知表现。跨胎龄早产儿在认知领域存在缺陷。有了支持性的环境，他们中的许多人有潜力赶上足月出生的人。晚期早产对儿童认知功能的不利影响可能不会持续到成年；在这项研究中，晚产早产的成年人表现出与足月出生的成年人相似的认知功能。早期研究发现的早产成人的认知功能缺陷主要涉及那些出生最小的婴儿，即极早产或早产且小于胎龄。