General Movements: A Behavioral Biomarker of Later Motor and Cognitive Dysfunction in NICU Graduates

Pediatric Annals
|April 19, 2018
PubMed

Insights

The General Movement Assessment can identify neurological issues in high-risk infants. Early detection aids in managing potential motor and cognitive difficulties for better developmental outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Pediatric neurology
  • Developmental pediatrics

Background:

  • Graduates of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) face increased risks of developmental delays.
  • Early identification of motor and cognitive difficulties in these infants is crucial but challenging.
  • The General Movement Assessment (GMA) shows promise for early detection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the existing literature on the application of the General Movement Assessment in high-risk infants.
  • To discuss the practical implementation of the General Movement Assessment in clinical settings.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies utilizing the General Movement Assessment in high-risk infant populations.
  • Discussion of clinical implementation strategies for the General Movement Assessment.

Main Results:

  • The General Movement Assessment is a reliable, low-cost tool for detecting abnormal neurological development in infants.
  • Evidence supports the use of GMA for early identification of developmental risks in NICU graduates.

Conclusions:

  • The General Movement Assessment is a valuable tool for monitoring high-risk infants post-NICU discharge.
  • Wider implementation of the General Movement Assessment in the United States is recommended to improve early detection and intervention for developmental challenges.

Related Concept Videos

Cognition and Behavior01:23

Cognition and Behavior

Social psychology examines the complex interplay between individual mental processes and social interactions. Historically, the field was divided into two domains: social behavior and social cognition. Researchers focusing on social behavior analyzed actions within social contexts, such as conformity, aggression, or cooperation. Meanwhile, social cognition researchers investigated how people perceive, interpret, and mentally represent their social environments. However, modern perspectives no...
383
Causes of Social Behavior II: Cognitive Processes01:15

Causes of Social Behavior II: Cognitive Processes

Cognitive processes affect social behavior by guiding how individuals perceive, interpret, and respond to social stimuli. These mental processes enable individuals to assess others' behaviors, attribute causes to their actions, and form expectations based on past experiences.Causes of Behavior and Social JudgmentsIndividuals determine the causes of others' behaviors by distinguishing between personal traits and external circumstances. For example, if a friend frequently arrives late, an...
210
Cognitive Dissonance01:38

Cognitive Dissonance

Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
37.5K
Anatomical Movements00:51

Anatomical Movements

Anatomical movements refer to the various actions or motions that can be performed by the body's joints and muscles. These movements are described using specific terms to provide a standardized way of discussing and understanding the range of motion at different joints.
Here are some common anatomical movements:
Flexion and extension motions are in the sagittal (anterior–posterior) plane of motion. These movements take place at the shoulder, hip, elbow, knee, wrist,...
16.3K
What is Behavior?00:54

What is Behavior?

Behaviors are actions that an organism engages in—they can be related to finding food, reproducing, defending against threats, and many other possible actions. Behaviors include activities related to the environment around the animal—such as migration—as well as social interactions within a species or population. Many behaviors involve motor output—that is, muscle movements—while others involve less visible actions, such as learning.
10.3K
The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles01:43

The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles

In eukaryotic cells,  cytoskeletal filaments such as actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments form a mesh-like cytoskeletal network. These filaments serve as tracks for transporting cellular cargo. Specialized motor proteins use the chemical energy stored in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for this transport. During interphase, microtubules are polarized, with the plus-end towards the cell periphery and the minus-end towards the cell center. Two microtubule-associated motor proteins,...
6.6K