Parent-Reported Perceived Cognitive Functioning Identifies Cognitive Problems in Children Who Survived Neonatal Critical Illness

Abstract

Children with congenital anatomical foregut anomalies and children treated with neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are at risk for neurocognitive morbidities. We evaluated the association between the parent-reported pediatric perceived cognitive functioning (PedsPCF) questionnaire and the parent-reported behavior rating inventory of executive function (BRIEF) as well as neuropsychological assessments (NPA). We included 8-, 12- and 17-year-old participants who had joined a prospective follow-up program between 2017 and 2019. Self- and parental proxy-reported PedsPCF and proxy-reported BRIEF scores and their mutual association were evaluated. In total, 168 participants were included. Self- and proxy-reported PedsPCF scores were significantly below normal (mean (SD) z-score: −0.35 (0.88), p p p p R2 = 0.141). The proxy-reported PedsPCF revealed cognitive problems more often than the BRIEF in school-aged children who had survived neonatal critical illness. The proxy-reported PedsPCF may support clinical decision-making regarding the need for extensive neuropsychological assessments.

Keywords

• pediatric perceived cognitive functioning
• PedsPCF
• neuropsychological assessment
• executive functioning
• behavior rating inventory of executive function
• BRIEF