Clinical Scorecard: Long-term Neurodevelopmental Assessments in Adolescents Born Very and Extremely Preterm: Insights from a Single-Center Cohort Study
At a Glance
Category
Detail
Condition
Preterm birth and its neurodevelopmental sequelae
Key Mechanisms
Cognitive, motor, and emotional difficulties linked to gestational age and early developmental assessments
Target Population
Adolescents aged 14-18 years born very or extremely preterm
Care Setting
University Hospital of Parma
Key Highlights
50% of extremely preterm and 33.3% of very preterm adolescents had psychiatric or neurodevelopmental diagnoses.
Early cognitive assessments at 12 and 18 months showed strong predictive value for later intellectual functioning.
Visuomotor coordination negatively correlated with gestational age.
Inconsistent predictive associations were observed for early motor scores.
The study emphasizes the importance of structured multidisciplinary surveillance into adolescence.
Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Conduct neurological examinations and cognitive testing for adolescents born very or extremely preterm.
Management
Implement structured multidisciplinary surveillance for neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Monitoring & Follow-up
Utilize early Bayley scores to predict cognitive and motor outcomes in adolescence.
Risks
Monitor for cognitive impairments, attention deficits, and psychiatric disorders in preterm adolescents.
Patient & Prescribing Data
Adolescents born very or extremely preterm (aged 14-18 years)
Early identification of at-risk individuals may inform the timing of early interventions.
Clinical Best Practices
Prioritize intensive follow-up resources for infants at risk of long-term difficulties.
Use early developmental assessments as prognostic tools for cognitive and motor outcomes.
This Neuroscience Grand Rounds session, led by Yasaman Movahedi and Deanna Aghbashian, explores psychosis in adolescence through both clinical and neurocognitive lenses, emphasizing early recognition and multidisciplinary management.
