ASSESSMENT OF GENERAL MOVEMENTS - TOWARDS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF ASENSITIVE METHOD TO EVALUATE BRAIN-FUNCTION IN YOUNG INFANTS

The consistent presence of an abnormal quality of general movements (G Ms) during the first postnatal months points to a high risk for the de velopment of a neurological disability. To elucidate the significance of abnormal GMs during a single assessment, a classification system fo r abnormal GMs was developed. To this end six term and ten preterm inf ants with abnormal GMs were studied longitudinally with video and elec tromyographic (EMG) recordings till 59 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA). Two basic categories of abnormal GMs were distinguished: (1) mildly ab normal GMs (two types), which lacked fluency while conserving pattern complexity, and (2) definitely abnormal GMs (four types), which lacked fluency and complexity altogether. GM type before 39 weeks PMA correl ated with findings on neonatal ultrasound brain scans. GM quality afte r 47 weeks PMA was strongly related to neurodevelopmental outcome at 1 1/2 years of age, suggesting that the absence of the age-specific 'fi dgety' character of GMs could be a herald of disability.