orbitalfrontal reality filter: By the age of 7 years old, most people’s reality filters are working; the ability to distinguish reality from fantasy seems to generally happen in the orbitalfrontal cortex (OFC) part of the brain. But the OFC is the last to develop and so it is altered in very preterm born. They compare 10-14 year olds, some born preterm and some born at term. They both performed equally well and quickly on what’s called “orbitofrontal reality filtering” – but the preterm DID NOT USE the orbitalfrontal cortex but instead used OTHER means to accomplish the same task more efficiently. They did heavier employment of visual systems and finger motor systems for their reality filtering task.

But the OFC is the last to develop and so it is altered in very preterm born. They compare 10-14 year olds, some born preterm and some born at term. They both performed equally well and quickly on what’s called “orbitofrontal reality filtering” – but the preterm DID NOT USE the orbitalfrontal cortex but instead used OTHER means to accomplish the same task more efficiently.

They did heavier employment of visual systems and finger motor systems for their reality filtering task.