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. [email protected]
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
de Groot RH, Adam JJ, Hornstra G.
Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands. [email protected]
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 language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 21-24 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Neuroscience Letters |
| Volume | 340 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2003 |