Early diagnostics of motor disorders in children: an interdisciplinary approach

Abstract

Assessment of motor development is an important part of the study of the neuropsychic development of children, which is carried out by a pediatrician during preventive examinations. To identify the causes of motor disorders, in addition to studying the anamnesis, it is necessary to conduct a physical examination of the child with the appointment of additional research methods. It is important to remember that developmental delay does not always indicate the presence of any disease but requires dynamic monitoring. However, if they progress, then these patients are more likely to be diagnosed with specific neuromuscular disorders. In this case, the pediatrician should pay attention to the neurological status of the child, assess visual acuity and hearing. At the same time, one should not forget that motor disorders are often combined with a general developmental delay (mental retardation) of the child. Fasciculation of the tongue, loss of motor skills, organomegaly, coarsening of facial features, increased levels of creatine phosphokinase (more than 3 times higher than normal), respiratory failure, in the presence of general weakness, a sharp deterioration in the child’s condition, accompanied by lethargy, vomiting, development of convulsive syndrome, disorders detected on MRI of the brain, are alarming symptoms that require urgent intervention by specialists (neurologist, genetics). Also, some hereditary (chromosomal and monogenic) diseases are often combined with the development of motor disorders. The best results are achieved if the early diagnosis of diseases accompanied by movement disorders is carried out using an interdisciplinary approach.