Development of the children's primitive reflex integration assessment scale

Area of Science:

• Developmental Pediatrics
• Neuroscience
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Non-integrated primitive reflexes (PRs) in children are linked to motor and psychological issues.
• Existing measurement methods for PR integration are not well-established.
• PR integration is correlated with neurodevelopmental disorders in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel assessment tool for measuring primitive reflex integration in children.
• To address the lack of standardized methods for evaluating PR integration.

Main Methods:

• The Children's Primitive Reflex Integration Measurement Scale (CPRIMS) was developed using literature reviews, expert experience, and group discussions.
• Pilot and formal testing involved 555 first and second-grade students (ages 6-9).
• Statistical analyses included Item Discrimination Method, Critical Ratio Method, Internal Consistency Coefficient Method, Cronbach's α, and confirmatory factor analysis.

Main Results:

• CPRIMS consists of 17 items across seven dimensions: Moro reflex (MR), Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR), Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR), Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR), Spinal Galant Reflex (SGR), Spinal Perez Reflex (SPR), and Landau Reflex (LR).
• The scale explained 88.2% of the total variance.
• Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good model fit, and Cronbach's α coefficients demonstrated strong reliability (0.730–0.945).

Conclusions:

• The CPRIMS is a reliable and valid measurement scale for assessing primitive reflex integration in children aged 6-9 years.
• This tool can aid in identifying potential developmental issues related to PR integration.