Selective attention deficits during human pregnancy

R.H.M. de Groot*, J.J.M.E. Adam, G. Hornstra

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Selective attention deficits during human pregnancy.

de Groot RH, Adam JJ, Hornstra G.

Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands. rhm.degroot@hb.unimaas.nl

Using a longitudinal design we provide evidence that selective attention - a key component of cognition concerned with selection and preparation - is compromised during pregnancy. Selective attention was operationalized by means of the finger precuing technique, which selectively prepares two of four finger responses. The precuing benefit was taken as a measure of selective attention. Pregnant women showed a significant smaller precuing benefit at week 36 of pregnancy than did the control women, indicating loss of selective attention. Thirty-two weeks after childbirth this performance decrement had vanished, reflecting a functional recovery
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)21-24
Number of pages4
JournalNeuroscience Letters
Volume340
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2003

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