EARLY DETECTION OF NEUROMOTOR DELAYS AND IMPAIRMENTS IN INFANTS AT BIOLOGICAL RISK: longitudinal study

• Grant number: 23/05689-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: January 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Eloisa Tudella
• Grantee: Monique Maria Silva da Paz
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Typical motor development may be compromised by biological risk factors, such as prematurity. It is considered one of the main causes of perinatal mortality and is present in 1 of 10 births in the city of São Carlos-SP. The scientific community stil discusses the early detection of neuromotor impairments and deficits since the late identification entails morbidities at school age in infants at biological risk. Therefore, the robust assessment of motor development is quintessential, as the qualitative and quantitative information are predictive variables of neuromotor impairments and deficits. Thereby, the urge for early detection of neuromotor impairments and deficits in infants at biological risk before four months of age is undeniable. It enables the implementation of early intervention programs in periods of greater neuroplasticity. Aim: To promote early detection of neuromotor impairments and deficits in the first four months of age in infants at biological risk. Methods: Will be included thirty-three biological-risk infants in the experimental group and thirty-three healthy full-term infants in the control group. Parents/guardians must sign the Informed Consent Form and the Image Use Term to enable infants' participation. Those infants whose parents do not agree to sign the Terms will be excluded. The evaluations will occur at the chronological or corrected (preterm infants) ages two, three, and four months and reassessed at six months old. In the assessment will be applied the Parental-Infant Identification form, the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE), the General Movements Assessment (GMA), and the Infant Motor Profile (IMP). Considering the age ranges covered by the instruments, the researcher will apply GMA and HINE at the first assessment. The researchers will apply HINE, GMA, and IMP at the second and third evaluations. Finally, at the last evaluation, the researcher will apply HINE and IMP. Data collection will occur in the parents' preferred location, either at home or at the Laboratory of Research and Analysis of Movement of the Department of Physiotherapy at the Federal University of São Carlos. Statistical analysis will employ the T-Test of independent samples and ANOVA of repeated measures if amenable to parametric tests. For that, the researchers will use the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0 program and adopt a significance level of 5%. Expected results: To highlight the relevance of early detection through the detection of neuromotor impairments and deficits in infants at biological risk. In addition, to measure which assessment tool is most effective for early detection of neuromotor impairments and deficits without the association of magnetic resonance imaging.