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Neuropsychological screening of a group of preterm twins: comparison with singletons

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Abstract

Objects

Perform neuropsychological screening of a group of preterm twins without major brain pathology and compare it with a control group of similarly preterm children born as singletons.

Materials and methods

Twenty-three preterm twins born at fewer than 32 weeks of gestation were tested for rapid evaluation of cognitive functions at the age of 4 years. The tests evaluated language, non-verbal performances, learning and attention deficit disorders. Cognitive profiles were established. Links between perinatal factors, clinical follow-up and cognitive outcome were investigated. Their cognitive outcome was then compared with the cognitive outcome of 31 preterm singletons with the same gestational periods.

Conclusion

The twins’ neuropsychological outcome was not more marked than that of the singletons. Birth weight discordance and chorionicity were the only predictive perinatal factors with worse outcome in the twin population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Paediatrics, Hopital Nord, Universite de la Mediterrannee, Chemin des Bourellys, 13015,, Marseille cedex 20, France

    Marie-Ange Einaudi, Muriel Busuttil, Anne-Sophie Monnier, Christian Palix & Catherine Gire

  2. Department of Paediatrics, Hopital regional Aix-en-Provence, Aix-en-Provence, France

    Isabelle Chanus

Authors
  1. Marie-Ange Einaudi
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  2. Muriel Busuttil
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  3. Anne-Sophie Monnier
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  4. Isabelle Chanus
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  5. Christian Palix
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  6. Catherine Gire
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Correspondence to Marie-Ange Einaudi.

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Einaudi, MA., Busuttil, M., Monnier, AS. et al. Neuropsychological screening of a group of preterm twins: comparison with singletons. Childs Nerv Syst 24, 225–230 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-007-0422-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-007-0422-6

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