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Early intervention and its short-term effect on the temporal organization of fidgety movements
Michal Sokołów1, Lars Adde2, Liliana Klimont3
1Medical University of Gdańsk, Department of Physical Therapy, Dębinki 7, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland; Centre of Early Intervention in Gdańsk, Jagiellońska 11, 80-371 Gdańsk, Poland.
Insights
Early intervention improved fidgety movements in infants with postural issues. This physiotherapy enhanced motor development and temporal organization of movements, showing positive therapeutic effects.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Movement Science
Background:
- The Prechtl General Movement Assessment (GMA) is crucial for predicting neurological and developmental disorders.
- It also serves to document the efficacy of therapeutic interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the temporal organization of fidgety general movements in infants with mild to moderate postural asymmetries and/or tonus regulation problems.
- To evaluate the impact of physiotherapy on the temporal organization of these fidgety movements.
Main Methods:
- A repeated measure design was employed.
- Twelve infants (median gestational age 36 weeks, 9 preterm) with postural/tonus issues participated.
- Prechtl GMA assessed fidgety movements at 9-19 weeks post-term, before and after early motor training, with computer-based analysis for one infant.
Main Results:
- Before intervention, infants exhibited sporadic or intermittent fidgety movements, with none showing continual movements.
- Following physiotherapy, all infants demonstrated an increase in the temporal organization of fidgety movements.
- Computer-based analysis supported the observational findings.
Conclusions:
- Early intervention, including physiotherapy, enhances the temporal organization of fidgety movements in infants with postural asymmetries and/or tonus regulation problems.
- The clinical significance of these improvements warrants further investigation.
Background:
The Prechtl General Movement Assessment (GMA) predicts various neurological and developmental disorders while also documenting therapeutic effects.
Aims:
To describe the temporal organization of fidgety general movements in infants with mild to moderate postural asymmetries and/or tonus regulation problems, and to analyze to what extent the temporal organization of fidgety movements will change after physiotherapy.
Study Design:
Repeated measure design.
Participants:
Twelve infants (five females) with mild to moderate postural asymmetries and/or tonus regulation problems were admitted for an early intervention program. The gestational age ranged from 27 to 40 weeks (Median, 36 weeks; nine infants born preterm) with birth weights ranging from 740 g to 3500 g (Median, 2590 g).
Measures:
Fidgety movements and their temporal organization were measured using the Prechtl GMA at 9 to 19 weeks post term age (Median, 14 weeks) before and after an early motor training procedure. The movements of one of the infants were analysed using a computer-based approach, measuring the mean and standard deviation of quantity of motion, height of motion and width of motion.
Results:
Seven infants had sporadic fidgety movements, and five had intermittent fidgety movements. None had continual fidgety movements before the intervention was initiated. After intervention, the temporal organization of fidgety movements increased in all infants. The observations of these movements were supported by computer-based analysis.
Conclusion:
The study indicates that early intervention increases the temporal organization of fidgety movements in infants with postural asymmetries and/or tonus regulation problems. The clinical significance of this finding needs to be further evaluated.
