Visual attention in preschool children prenatally exposed to cocaine: implications for behavioral regulation.

Full Abstract

The presence of cocaine during the prenatal period disrupts the development of neural systems involved in mediating visual attention; therefore, it is possible that prenatal cocaine exposure results in impairments in visual attention in early childhood. In the current study we hypothesized that preschool children with prenatal cocaine exposure would exhibit difficulties in the disengagement operation of visual attention and in sustaining attention, particularly for targets presented in the right visual field. Fourteen cocaine-exposed children and 20 control children between 14 and 60 months of age were assessed on measures of visual attention, cognition, and behavior. Cocaine-exposed children had slower reaction times on disengagement trials in the second half of our attention task, supporting our hypotheses that impairments in disengagement and sustained attention are associated with prenatal cocaine exposure. There was a trend for slower reaction times to targets presented in the right visual field, but not to targets presented in the left visual field. Cocaine-exposed children also exhibited greater difficulties in behavioral regulation. Overall, our findings suggest that children with prenatal cocaine exposure demonstrate specific impairments in visual attention and behavioral regulation.

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Author information

Author/s: Heffelfinger, Amy K (AK); Craft, Suzanne (S); White, Desirée A (DA); Shyken, Jaye (J);

Affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS (J Int Neuropsychol Soc), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Jan; vol 8 (issue 1) : pp 12-21

Dates: Created 2002/02/14; Completed 2002/03/06; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 11843069, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Attention - drug effects
Case-Control Studies
Cerebral Cortex - drug effects
Child Behavior - drug effects
Child, Preschool
Cocaine - adverse effects
Female
Humans
Infant

Male
Narcotics - adverse effects
Neuropsychological Tests
Orientation - drug effects
Pattern Recognition, Visual - drug effects
Pregnancy
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
Research Design
Street Drugs - adverse effects
Temperament - drug effects

Associated Chemicals: Narcotics (0) ; Street Drugs (0) ; Cocaine (50-36-2)

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