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

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.