Understanding face processing and socio-communicative impairments in school-aged very preterm birth survivors; a multimodal approach integrating biobehavioural, neural and autonomic nervous system physiology measures.

Very preterm (VPT) birth is common and associated with particular socio-communicative and socio-emotional vulnerabilities that can have long-term implications and may result in future persistent psychopathology. Nevertheless, social impairments may be subtle and subclinical, and stay unnoticed and untreated. Therefore, more sensitive approaches are needed to elucidate the underlying deficits in VPT birth survivors. The aim of the present research project is to investigate and comprehend the long-term impact of VPT birth on the quality of real-life social interactions and socio-communicative sensitivity (in particular face processing) in school-aged children. We will implement a unique integrative multimodal assessment approach comprising various biobehavioural measurements (face processing performance, eye-tracking, facial mimicry), neural measures (frequency-tagging EEG, functional MRI, diffusion MRI), and autonomic nervous system physiology measures (skin conductance, heart rate, pupillometry). This will offer us the most comprehensive picture of the biobehavioural, autonomic and neural aspects of face processing and its impact on general socio-emotional functioning that has ever been obtained in VPT birth populations.