Movement optimality scoring in high risk infants to predict outcome
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The use of a detailed assessment of general movements at preterm and term age in enhancing the early identification of neuro-motor deficit in high-risk infants
IRAS ID
227136
Contact name
Helen E Robinson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 31 days
Research summary
There is inconclusive evidence to ascertain the benefits of early motor intervention in high risk infants. Many reasons have been suggested for this including the classification of a “high-risk” infant. Many infants categorised as high-risk have a normal motor outcome. It has been proposed that improvements in early motor intervention studies could be enhanced if they included infants who have been identified early on as having a high probability of neuro-motor deficits rather than those just classified as high-risk (Herskind et al 2015). Intervention during these early periods, at the most critical times of neuroplasticity, may assist in determining the effects of early motor intervention in infants who present with early neuro-motor deficits. The general movement assessment (GMA) is a well-researched method to identify infants at high risk of neuromotor deficit. An improvement in the development of an optimality score (GMOS) relating to the general movements of infants has recently been published (Einspieler et al 2016). This project will determine whether the application of an optimality score to movement videos in a high-risk cohort of preterm and term infants will enhance prediction of neuromotor deficit at a very early age. Earlier identification could enable infants with a high probability of neuromotor deficit to be enrolled in to studies examining the effects of early motor intervention.\n
REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/1784
Date of REC Opinion
16 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion