Scholarlink

Background <p>Improved survival of very preterm (&lt;32 weeks of gestation) infants has highlighted neurodevelopmental and socio-emotional challenges. As altered gaze behavior and autonomic functioning may contribute to these difficulties, we investigated this in thirty-nine very preterm and thirty-eight full-term 8-to-12-year-old children.</p> Methods <p>We assessed gaze behavior during a semi-structured conversation. Autonomic functioning was evaluated through heart rate variability and skin conductance responses at rest and during an eye contact paradigm.</p> Results <p>Preterms exhibited shorter but more frequent gazes toward their conversation partner than full-terms. Moreover, both at rest and during the eye contact paradigm, they demonstrated higher heart rate variability. No group differences in skin conductance responses were observed at rest, but during the eye contact paradigm, preterms displayed more pronounced skin conductance responses regardless of condition.</p> Conclusion <p>Very preterm children exhibited reduced sustained social attention and heightened autonomic activity. Nevertheless, reported subjective experiences were similar among both groups, suggesting that heightened arousal reflects general physiological reactivity rather than perceived stress. This underscores the importance of potential interventions targeting attentional control to improve socio-emotional outcomes in very preterm children.</p> Impact <p><UnorderedList Mark="Bullet"> <ItemContent> <p>Very preterm (VPT) survivors often face socio-emotional challenges, including altered gaze behavior and autonomic functioning.</p> </ItemContent> <ItemContent> <p>VPT children engaged in shorter but more frequent gazes toward conversation partners compared to FT peers, indicating difficulties with sustained attention.</p> </ItemContent> <ItemContent> <p>Assessments in middle childhood reveal increased parasympathetic activity, heightened sympathetic arousal, and faster skin conductance recovery during eye contact, highlighting the need for supportive interventions.</p> </ItemContent> </UnorderedList></p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Heart rate variability, skin conductance, and gaze behavior during rest and during live eye contact in very prematurely born school-aged children

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月7日

查看全文
  • Tiffany Tang,
  • Samantha Piers,
  • Lisa Gistelinck,
  • Nicky Daniels,
  • Matthijs Moerkerke,
  • Jean Steyaert,
  • Els Ortibus,
  • Gunnar Naulaers,
  • Kaat Alaerts,
  • Bart Boets

摘要

Background

Improved survival of very preterm (<32 weeks of gestation) infants has highlighted neurodevelopmental and socio-emotional challenges. As altered gaze behavior and autonomic functioning may contribute to these difficulties, we investigated this in thirty-nine very preterm and thirty-eight full-term 8-to-12-year-old children.

Methods

We assessed gaze behavior during a semi-structured conversation. Autonomic functioning was evaluated through heart rate variability and skin conductance responses at rest and during an eye contact paradigm.

Results

Preterms exhibited shorter but more frequent gazes toward their conversation partner than full-terms. Moreover, both at rest and during the eye contact paradigm, they demonstrated higher heart rate variability. No group differences in skin conductance responses were observed at rest, but during the eye contact paradigm, preterms displayed more pronounced skin conductance responses regardless of condition.

Conclusion

Very preterm children exhibited reduced sustained social attention and heightened autonomic activity. Nevertheless, reported subjective experiences were similar among both groups, suggesting that heightened arousal reflects general physiological reactivity rather than perceived stress. This underscores the importance of potential interventions targeting attentional control to improve socio-emotional outcomes in very preterm children.

Impact

Very preterm (VPT) survivors often face socio-emotional challenges, including altered gaze behavior and autonomic functioning.

VPT children engaged in shorter but more frequent gazes toward conversation partners compared to FT peers, indicating difficulties with sustained attention.

Assessments in middle childhood reveal increased parasympathetic activity, heightened sympathetic arousal, and faster skin conductance recovery during eye contact, highlighting the need for supportive interventions.