Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 17, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
ESSENCE-Q - a first clinical validation study of a new screening questionnaire for young children with suspected
Yuhei Hatakenaka1, Elisabeth Fernell2, Masahiko Sakaguchi3
1Kochi Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Kochi Prefectural Medical and Welfare Centre, Kochi, Japan; Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Insights
The Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations-Questionnaire (ESSENCE-Q) shows good reliability for early screening of neurodevelopmental disorders in children under six. Optimal cutoff points are proposed to improve diagnostic accuracy in clinical settings.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Background:
- Early identification of neurodevelopmental disorders like autism is crucial but often delayed.
- The "wait-and-see" approach hinders timely diagnosis.
- The Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations-Questionnaire (ESSENCE-Q) is a brief screening tool designed to expedite this process.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the reliability of the ESSENCE-Q.
- To evaluate the author-suggested clinical cutoff levels for the ESSENCE-Q.
- To propose optimal cutoff levels using receiver operating characteristic analysis.
Main Methods:
- The ESSENCE-Q was administered for one year to children under six referred for developmental concerns in Kochi, Japan.
- Clinical diagnostic assessments were conducted concurrently.
- Results were compared between 130 children assessed with the ESSENCE-Q and clinical diagnoses.
Main Results:
- The ESSENCE-Q demonstrated good reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.82.
- Initial sensitivity was 0.94 and specificity was 0.53.
- An optimal cutoff of ESSENCE-Q score ≥2 (yes) or ≥3 (maybe/a little) yielded 0.87 sensitivity and 0.77 specificity.
Conclusions:
- The ESSENCE-Q is a valuable screening instrument for early identification of neurodevelopmental disorders in clinical practice.
- Further research, including case-control and general population studies across diverse age groups, is needed to confirm broader validity and reliability.
Background:
Early identification of autism spectrum disorder, intellectual developmental disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and other neurodevelopmental disorders/problems is crucial, yet diagnosis is often delayed for years under the often misguided "wait-and-see" paradigm. The early symptomatic syndromes eliciting neurodevelopmental clinical examinations-questionnaire (ESSENCE-Q) is a brief (12-item) screening questionnaire developed specifically for the purpose of speeding up the identification process of a wide variety of neurodevelopmental problems. The aims were to 1) estimate the reliability of the ESSENCE-Q, 2) evaluate the clinical cutoff levels suggested by the author of the ESSENCE-Q, and 3) propose optimal cutoff levels based on receiver operating characteristic analysis.
Methods:
The ESSENCE-Q was used for 1 year by a psychiatrist in Kochi, Japan, assessing children under the age of 6 years referred for developmental problems. The children were also clinically assessed with regard to whether or not they met criteria for a developmental disorder (diagnosis positive and diagnosis negative groups). We contrasted the results of the ESSENCE-Q and those of clinical diagnostic assessments in 130 cases.
Results:
Cronbach's alpha was 0.82, sensitivity was 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.88, 0.98]), and specificity 0.53 (95% CI: [0.28, 0.77]), which are reasonable psychometrics for a first-step screening tool. Based on receiver operating characteristic analysis, we recommended an optimal cutoff level of yes ≥2 or maybe/a little ≥3 on the ESSENCE-Q (0.87 (95% CI: [0.79, 0.92]) sensitivity and 0.77 (95% CI: [0.50, 0.93]) specificity).
Conclusion And Implication:
The ESSENCE-Q can be a good instrument for use as a screening tool for aiding in the process of early identification of neurodevelopmental disorders in clinical settings. To establish the broader validity and reliability of the ESSENCE-Q, case-control studies and general population studies of children in different age groups are needed.
More Related Videos
13:09Using Brain Activation nir-HEG/Q-EEG and Execution Measures CPTs in a ADHD Assessment Protocol
Published on: April 1, 2018
05:48The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
Published on: June 12, 2020