Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Event-related Potentials During Target-response Tasks to Study Cognitive Processes of Upper Limb Use in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
08:26

Event-related Potentials During Target-response Tasks to Study Cognitive Processes of Upper Limb Use in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy

Published on: January 11, 2016

12.5K

Factors Associated with High Risk of Cerebral Palsy: Development of a Multicriteria Index

Lara de Almeida Rodrigues1, Rafael Coelho Magalhães2, Bernat Vinolas Prat3

  • 1Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Physical Education, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics
|January 2, 2026
PubMed

Insights

A new multicriteria index accurately identifies infants at high risk for cerebral palsy (CP) using key clinical factors. This tool aids in early detection and intervention for high-risk newborns following neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stays.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal neurology
  • Pediatric developmental disorders
  • Clinical risk assessment

Background:

  • Cerebral palsy (CP) is a significant concern in high-risk infants.
  • Early identification of CP risk is crucial for timely intervention.
  • Existing methods may not fully capture the multifactorial nature of CP risk in neonates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a multicriteria index for identifying infants at high risk of cerebral palsy (CP).
  • To incorporate key clinical factors associated with CP into a predictive index.
  • To improve the precision of risk assessment for infants with a history of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission.

Main Methods:

  • An exploratory cross-sectional study included 92 infants discharged from NICUs in Brazil.
  • Infants were assessed using General Movements (GMs) and Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE).
  • A multicriteria index integrated factors including TORCHSZ infections, prematurity, birth asphyxia, Apgar scores, seizures, ventilation duration, and specific medications.

Main Results:

  • The developed index demonstrated a moderate positive association with high CP risk (R²=0.20, p<0.0001).
  • Abnormal GMs and HINE results were key indicators of high risk.
  • Significant differences in risk were observed between low- and high-risk groups (p<0.0001) and medium- and high-risk groups (p=0.005).

Conclusions:

  • The multicriteria high-risk CP index effectively identifies infants with CP risk post-NICU admission.
  • Combining clinical factors in the index enhances the identification of high-risk infants.
  • This tool can assist healthcare professionals in making more accurate referrals for early intervention programs.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cerebral palsyearly detectionmulticriteria index

More Related Videos

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

87.5K
A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy10:02

A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy

Published on: November 3, 2016

25.3K

Related Concept Videos

Intellectual Disability01:29

Intellectual Disability

Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning that manifest during the developmental period. This condition encompasses challenges in reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and learning, accompanied by impairments in everyday life skills, such as communication, self-care, and social interactions. Intellectual disability affects approximately 1% of the population in the United States, impacting an estimated 5...
584
Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II01:28

Criteria for Causality: Bradford Hill Criteria - II

The Bradford Hill criteria serve as guidelines for establishing causative links in epidemiological research. Beyond Strength, Consistency, Specificity, and Temporality, key criteria also include Biological Gradient, Plausibility, Coherence, Experiment, and Analogy. These principles assist scientists in assessing the likelihood of causation in complex biological contexts. Below is a summary of these concepts:
1.1K
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
454
Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
834