Fine Motor Assessment Research Articles

Comprehensive assessment of fine motor movement and cognitive function among older adults in China: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundFine motor skills are closely related to cognitive function. However, there is currently no comprehensive assessment of fine motor movement and how it corresponds with cognitive function. To conduct a complete assessment of fine motor and clarify the relationship between various dimensions of fine motor and cognitive function.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study with 267 community-based participants aged ≥ 60 years in Beijing, China. We assessed four tests performance and gathered detailed fine motor indicators using Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) motion capture technology. The wearable MEMS device provided us with precise fine motion metrics, while Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to assess cognitive function. We adopted logistic regression to analyze the relationship between fine motor movement and cognitive function.Results129 (48.3%) of the participants had cognitive impairment. The vast majority of fine motor movements have independent linear correlations with MoCA-BJ scores. According to logistic regression analysis, completion time in the Same-pattern tapping test (OR = 1.033, 95%CI = 1.003–1.063), Completion time of non-dominant hand in the Pieces flipping test (OR = 1.006, 95%CI = 1.000-1.011), and trajectory distance of dominant hand in the Pegboard test (OR = 1.044, 95%CI = 1.010–1.068), which represents dexterity, are related to cognitive impairment. Coordination, represented by lag time between hands in the Same-pattern tapping (OR = 1.663, 95%CI = 1.131–2.444), is correlated with cognitive impairment. Coverage in the Dual-hand drawing test as an important indicator of stability is negatively correlated with cognitive function (OR = 0.709, 95%CI = 0.6501–0.959). Based on the above 5-feature model showed consistently high accuracy and sensitivity at the MoCA-BJ score (ACU = 0.80–0.87).ConclusionsThe results of a comprehensive fine-motor assessment that integrates dexterity, coordination, and stability are closely related to cognitive functioning. Fine motor movement has the potential to be a reliable predictor of cognitive impairment.

Pengaruh Penggunaan Media Busy Book Terhadap Kemampuan Motorik Halus Anak Usia 5-6 Tahun Di Taman Kanak-Kanak Yayasan Amalan Parupuk Tabing

This study aims to determine the effect of the use of busy book media on the fine motor skills of children aged 5-6 years at the Kindergarten of the Amalan Parupuk Tabing Foundation, Tabing Kec. Koto Tangah, the city of Padang, West Sumatra, academic year 2022/2023. This research is a quantitative research with pre-experimental methods, with pretest and posttest designs. Pretest posttest one group design which was carried out twice, namely before and after the experiment. The data collection technique in this study was in the form of fine motor activity observation sheets (pretest) and a fine motor assessment indicator rubric (post test). The subjects of this study were students aged 5-6 years at the Kindergarten of the Tabing Prapuk Foundation, Kec. Koto Tangah, the city of Padang, West Sumatra, with a population of 13 children. In taking the sample, the researcher used a purposive sampling technique so that the number of samples was 10 people. The results showed that there was an influence from the use of busy book media on the fine motor development of children aged 5-6 years where before using the busy book media the children's fine motor skills at the initial score (pretest) were 140 and at the final score (post test) 197 this shows an increase between initial test and post test, the results of the hypothesis test also show that the probability is greater 0.131> 0.05 then Ha is accepted. So it can be concluded that the use of busy book media can affect the fine motor skills of children aged 5-6 years in the Kindergarten of the Amalan Parupuk Tabing Foundation, Tabing Kec. Koto Tangah is the city of Padang, West Sumatra

Comparison of Neurocognitive Functioning and Fine Motor Skills in Pediatric Cancer Survivors and Healthy Children.

Background: The late treatment outcomes of pediatric brain tumors and of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissue tumors are an important focus of both rehabilitation and research. Neurocognitive and motor disorders induce further learning problems impeding social-emotional adaptation throughout a whole lifespan. Core deficits in short-term and working memory, visuospatial constructional ability, verbal fluency, and fine motor skills underlie distorted intellectual and academic achievement. This study aimed to assess the individual differences in cognitive ability and fine motor skills of pediatric tumor survivors and the age-matched healthy controls. Methods: A total of 504 tumor survivors after treatment and 646 age-matched healthy controls underwent neurocognitive and fine motor assessments. Findings: The group of tumor survivors scored significantly worse in both neurocognitive and fine motor skill in compared with the healthy control group. The pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBT group) performed worse in cognitive (p < 0.001 for verbal fluency and p < 0.001 for visuospatial constructional ability) and motor tests (p < 0.001) compared to the healthy controls. Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues tumors survivors (THL group) performed worse in verbal fluency (p < 0.01) and visuospatial constructional test (p < 0.001) compared to the control group. Furthermore, the PBT group had worse results in visuospatial constructional ability (p < 0.05) and fine motor (p < 0.001) ability than the THL group. Significant differences between females and males were found in fine motor test performance in the PBT group (p < 0.05), as well as in verbal fluency (p < 0.01) and visuospatial constructional ability (p < 0.01) in the control group. Neurocognitive and fine motor skill characteristics in the THL group did not correlate with age.

Poorer dexterity is associated with underlying Alzheimer’s disease brain pathology

AbstractBackgroundThere has been increasing recognition for the decline of motor function in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression and its substantial role in disease morbidity. However, less is known about regional pathology burden—including amyloid‐β and tau protein deposition and cortical trophy—and its relationship to motor performance. Here investigate this relationship using standardized motor function assessment tools.MethodParticipants along a control‐to‐impaired continuum were enrolled in the Alzheimer’s Disease Connectome Project and underwent T1‐weighted MRI (N=206), with a subset undergoing [C‐11]PiB (N=61) and [F‐18 ]Flortaucipir PET (N=58) (Table 1) imaging for amyloid and tau pathology, respectively. T1‐weighted scans were processed using Freesurfer to estimate regional cortical thickness. [C‐11]PiB distribution volume ratios (DVR; cerebellar GM reference region) and [F‐18] Flortaucipir standardized uptake value ratios (SUVr; inferior cerebellar GM reference region) were assessed. Regions of interest (ROI) for analysis included the parahippocampal, entorhinal, motor, and frontal regions. Motor function was assessed utilizing NIH toolbox tests including the 2‐minute walking, 9‐hole pegboard dexterity, and dynamometer grip strength assessments. Motor performance was analyzed using participants uncorrected standardized scores. Scores were collected from participant‐reported dominant hand assessments. Multiple linear regression models tested relationships between AD biomarker burden and motor performance while controlling for age and sex of participants.ResultIncreased amyloid‐β (β‐0.42, p‐value: &lt;0.05) and tau (β: ‐0.53, p‐value: &lt;0.05) burden in primary motor cortices were associated with worse dexterity scores independent of age and sex. Grip strength did not show a significant correlation to cortical amyloid‐β (β: ‐0.14, p‐value 0.33) or tau burden (β: 0.23, p‐value: 0.36). Higher cortical thickness in primary motor regions were associated with higher dexterity (β: 0.21, p‐value &lt;0.0001) and 2‐minute walking scores (β: 0.24, p‐value &lt;0.001). When controlling for age and sex, grip strength predicted decreasing cortical thickness (β: 0.01, p‐value: &lt;0.001) (Table 2).ConclusionLower dexterity performance may be driven by elevated AD pathological burden and cortical thinning in cortical motor regions. Further research into motor performance and clinical disease manifestation is needed to determine the diagnostic utility of fine motor assessment as a predictor of motor decline in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease pathology.

Usability of a touchscreen assessment tool (TATOO) prototype for clinicians and typically developing children

Purpose Touchscreen devices are widely used in modern life and have quickly become part of daily life for children, including during Occupational Therapy sessions for children with disabilities. Touchscreen Assessment Tool (TATOO) is a prototype application used to evaluate children’s performance when using touchscreen devices. The purpose of this study, based on the logical user-centred interaction design framework, was to evaluate TATOO’s usability for occupational therapists and typically developing children and to examine the correlations between their usability scores. Methods A convenience sample of clinicians (N = 10) and children with typical development (N = 60) was recruited for this study. The usability assessment was conducted using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and semi-structured interviews for the clinicians, and the Short Feedback Questionnaire-Child (SFQ-Child) for the children. Results The SUS scores (M ± SD = 85.5 ± 8.04, range = 70–97.5) indicated good ratings of TATOO’s usability by clinicians; the SFQ-Child results showed children also rated its usability very highly, including all ages (4–10 years) and all tasks. The clinicians all expressed positive attitudes towards using TATOO, and no bias was found between the clinicians’ usability scores and the children’s usability feedback. Conclusion The TATOO is a user-friendly tool. Researchers and clinicians can benefit from the availability of an objective and low-cost assessment tool to promote their evaluation and intervention by providing more focussed individualized recommendations and adaptations. The study also suggests a model to follow when developing applications and evaluating their usability through a mixed-method approach to deepen understanding of the user’s needs. Implications for rehabilitation Touchscreen Assessment Tool (TATOO) shows a user-friendly tool for assessing the different skills required to operate touchscreens interface. TATOO has the potential to become an essential objective and low-cost assessment tool for the clinician, in which the spread of touchscreens constantly increases. Researchers and clinicians can benefit from the availability of such tools to promote their evaluation and intervention by providing more focussed individualized recommendations and adaptations. TATOO will complement the assessment needs, as traditional fine motor assessment tools cannot capture the skills necessary to operate a touchscreen device The study suggests a model to follow when developing applications and evaluating their usability through a mixed-method approach in order to deepen understanding of the user’s needs.

Validity and Reliability of a Fine Motor Assessment for Preschool Children

Due to the lack of tools that can be easily used by practitioners, there is a need to develop acceptable embedded ways to assess children’s fine motor skill development within early childhood education and care settings. This study examined the validity and reliability of a brief and ecologically valid fine motor assessment tool for preschool-aged children; the fine motor growth assessment (i.e., FINGA). Children’s fine motor performance on FINGA was compared with widely-used and validated performance-based (Peabody Developmental Motor Scales 2nd edition) and informant-based (Ages and Stages Questionnaire 3rd edition) fine motor assessments. Ninety-one children [mean age (y) ± SD = 4.50y ± 0.68] were assessed within seven early childhood education and care services in New South Wales, Australia. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and linear regression analyses showed that FINGA had good internal consistency (EFA of 73%) and age sensitivity (Bstd = 0.69, p < 0.001), and bivariate correlation analyses demonstrated good concurrent validity (rs from 0.69 to 0.84, ps < 0.001) against the two comparison assessments. Because of its brevity and ecological validity, the FINGA tool should be further examined as a routine fine motor skills assessment administered within the context of universal early childhood education and care service provision.

Association Between Motor Competence, Physical Fitness, and Academic Achievement in Physical Education in 13- to 16-Year-Old School Children.

In physical education (PE), both assessment practices and choice of teaching content indicate that pupil-related factors such as motor competence and physical fitness potentially influence pupils' academic achievement in PE. However, neither of these factors are explicitly expressed as assessment criteria in the Norwegian PE-curriculum. Hence, the aim of the current study was to investigate potential differences in motor competence and physical fitness between pupils with different academic achievements in PE. Forty-five boys and 31 girls (N = 76) from grades 8 to 10 in the lower secondary school participated in this study. In addition to collecting pupils' final grade in PE, as a proxy for academic achievement, they were assessed on the Test of Motor Competence (placing bricks, building bricks, heal-to-toe-walking, and walking/running in slopes) and four task items from the Test of Physical fitness (standing broad jump, pushing medicine ball, running 20 m as fast as possible, and reduced Cooper test). In the main analysis, the total score for motor competence and physical fitness, as well as their respective task items, were compared between pupils with different grades (i.e., 3 or 4, 5, 6). A one-way ANOVA revealed neither significant difference between pupils with different grades in overall motor competence (total score) nor the respective task items for fine motor assessment or the gross motor task heal-to-toe-walking. However, there was a large difference between pupils with different grades in performance of the gross motor task walking/running in slopes, where pupils receiving a grade of 6 and 5 completed the task significantly faster compared to their peers with a grade of 3 or 4. Furthermore, a one-way ANOVA indicated moderate-to-large differences between pupils with different grades in the total score of physical fitness and performance in three of the four respective task items (i.e., standing broad jump, running 20 m as fast as possible, and reduced Cooper test). Pupils with a grade of 6 had a significantly greater total score of physical fitness and jumped longer compared to pupils with a grade of 5 and 3 or 4. Additionally, pupils with a grade of 6 ran significantly faster as opposed to pupils with a grade of 3 or 4. Performance on the reduced Cooper test was significantly different between all groups of grades, with the distance covered being progressively increased from pupils receiving a grade of 3 or 4 to 6, respectively. These results indicate that physical fitness levels and one component of motor competence may influence pupils' academic achievement in PE. Since neither certain levels of gross motor competence nor physical fitness are explicitly stated as assessment criteria in the Norwegian PE curriculum, these findings may indicate a lack of alignment between PE-teachers' assessment practice and the curriculum's intentions. It is argued that PE-teachers should be aware of how these individual constraints may influence pupils' academic achievement in PE so that all pupils are given equal opportunities to meet the described learning outcomes.

Fine Motor Assessment in Upper Extremity Using Custom-Made Electronic Pegboard Test.

A fine motor test involves the manipulation of smaller objects with fingers, hands, and wrists. This test is an integral part of the evaluation of an upper extremity function. Nine Hole Peg Test (NHPT) is one among such tests which assess the ability to manipulate pegs with the thumb and finger. There is a need to develop a fine motor assessment tool which is reproducible and mimics closely the natural movement of hands. The aim of this work is to develop an electronic pegboard which is easy to administer and efficient in terms of time. Pegboard device is modified and standardized by (1) Adding electronic circuits to custom-made pegboard and programmed using a microcontroller (ATmega2560), (2) Following a specific sequence in placing and picking the pegs from the board, and (3) Using Infrared sensor and robust algorithm to ensure one peg movement at a time. The setup is administered on 15 healthy participants (nine females, six males aged between 21 and 80) and the outcome is compared with the results of traditional NHPT. Predefined sequence in moving the pegs and electronic timer features provide reliable results for repeated measurements and facilitate storing test score in a digital repository. This data could be used as reference data during the follow-up visits. The maximum difference between the measured timing between the present setup and traditional NHPT is about 6.7%. It is important to note that, due to inherent delay (response time) in the traditional NHPT, when compared to present setup the measured timing is always on the higher side. Nondependency on the manual stopwatch to record the time and hands-free of any wearable device are the advantages of the present setup.

Avaliação de pré-escolares: um enfoque sobre os diagnósticos de enfermagem

Objetivo: avaliar o desenvolvimento infantil e levantar o perfil de diagnósticos de enfermagem segundo NANDA-I entre pré-escolares de um Centro de Educação Infantil. Método: estudo transversal, descritivo-exploratório com abordagem quantitativa, realizado de outubro de 2015 a abril de 2016, em um Centro de Educação Infantil localizado na área urbana do município de Redenção-Ce. Os dados foram compilados no software Excel e analisados no programa SPSS em sua versão 20.0. Resultado: foram avaliadas 110 crianças. Na avaliação motora fina 93,63% conseguiram realizar integralmente os testes, na motora grossa 96,36%, pessoal-social 90% e linguagem 86,36%, de acordo com cada faixa apresentada. Foram identificados 18 Diagnósticos de Enfermagem (média de 4,5 por criança), 20 Características Definidoras (média 3,4 por criança) e 40 Fatores Relacionados (média de 6,5 por criança). Os diagnósticos de enfermagem com maior proporção, acima do percentil 75, foram: Risco de queda (100%) e atividade de recreação deficiente (100%). Conclusão: o desenvolvimento dos pré-escolares mostrou-se satisfatório, visto que a maioria dos testes realizados obtiveram resultados positivos. Os principais diagnósticos apresentados pelos pré-escolares foram relacionados à segurança do ambiente da creche, problemas higiênicos relacionados a própria criança, condição socioeconômica e instrução das famílias das crianças.

Do Infants at Risk of Developing Cerebral Palsy or Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders Learn What They Practice?

Through secondary analyses of the Small Step. Randomized Control Trial, we tested the hypothesis that children at risk of developing cerebral palsy (CP) or other neurodevelopmental disorders would learn what they practice, i.e., that they would have a more rapid development within the specifically trained foci (hand use or mobility) of each time period compared to the development rate within the foci not trained at that time. Nineteen infants (6.3 (1.62) months corrected age) included in the Small Step program were assessed at six time points during the intervention. For statistical analysis, general and mixed linear models were used, and the independent variables were the Peabody Developmental Motor scale (stationary, locomotion, grasping and visuomotor sub scales), the Gross Motor Function Measure-66 and the Hand Assessment for Infants. Outcomes related to gross motor function improved significantly more after mobility training than after hand use training, while fine motor function was improved to the same extent following both training types. Significantly higher improvements after the first training period were seen in one out of three outcome measures in both gross and fine motor assessments. The improvements observed were all independent of diagnosis at two years. The concept “you learn what you practice” was most clearly confirmed in the case of gross motor development.

Fine Motor Assessment With Unsupervised Learning For Personalized Rehabilitation in Parkinson Disease.

Parkinson disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorders characterized by motor and non-motor impairments. Since the quality of life of PD patients becomes poor while pathology develops, it is imperative to improve the identification of personalized rehabilitation and treatments approaches based on the level of the neurodegeneration process. Objective and precise assessment of the severity of the pathology is crucial to identify the most appropriate treatments. In this context, this paper proposes a wearable system able to measure the motor performance of PD subjects. Two inertial devices were used to capture the motion of the lower and upper limbs respectively, while performing six motor tasks. Forty-one kinematic features were extracted from the inertial signals to describe the performance of each subjects. Three unsupervised learning algorithms (k-Means, Self-organizing maps (SOM) and hierarchical clustering) were applied with a blind approach to group the motor performance. The results show that SOM was the best classifier since it reached accuracy equal to 0.950 to group the instances in two classes (mild vs advanced), and 0.817 considering three classes (mild vs moderate vs severe). Therefore, this system enabled objective assessment of the PD severity through motion analysis, allowing the evaluation of residual motor capabilities and fostering personalized paths for PD rehabilitation and assistance.

Dysmature superficial white matter microstructure in developmental focal epilepsy.

Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes is a common childhood epilepsy syndrome that predominantly affects boys, characterized by self-limited focal seizures arising from the perirolandic cortex and fine motor abnormalities. Concurrent with the age-specific presentation of this syndrome, the brain undergoes a developmentally choreographed sequence of white matter microstructural changes, including maturation of association u-fibres abutting the cortex. These short fibres mediate local cortico-cortical communication and provide an age-sensitive structural substrate that could support a focal disease process. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the microstructural properties of superficial white matter in regions corresponding to u-fibres underlying the perirolandic seizure onset zone in children with this epilepsy syndrome compared with healthy controls. To verify the spatial specificity of these features, we characterized global superficial and deep white matter properties. We further evaluated the characteristics of the perirolandic white matter in relation to performance on a fine motor task, gender and abnormalities observed on EEG. Children with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 14) underwent multimodal testing with high-resolution MRI including diffusion tensor imaging sequences, sleep EEG recordings and fine motor assessment. We compared white matter microstructural characteristics (axial, radial and mean diffusivity, and fractional anisotropy) between groups in each region. We found distinct abnormalities corresponding to the perirolandic u-fibre region, with increased axial, radial and mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy values in children with epilepsy (P = 0.039, P = 0.035, P = 0.042 and P = 0.017, respectively). Increased fractional anisotropy in this region, consistent with decreased integrity of crossing sensorimotor u-fibres, correlated with inferior fine motor performance (P = 0.029). There were gender-specific differences in white matter microstructure in the perirolandic region; males and females with epilepsy and healthy males had higher diffusion and fractional anisotropy values than healthy females (P ≤ 0.035 for all measures), suggesting that typical patterns of white matter development disproportionately predispose boys to this developmental epilepsy syndrome. Perirolandic white matter microstructure showed no relationship to epilepsy duration, duration seizure free, or epileptiform burden. There were no group differences in diffusivity or fractional anisotropy in superficial white matter outside of the perirolandic region. Children with epilepsy had increased radial diffusivity (P = 0.022) and decreased fractional anisotropy (P = 0.027) in deep white matter, consistent with a global delay in white matter maturation. These data provide evidence that atypical maturation of white matter microstructure is a basic feature in benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes and may contribute to the epilepsy, male predisposition and clinical comorbidities observed in this disorder.

Cognitive and behaviour profiles of children with mucopolysaccharidosis Type II

ABSTRACTMucopolysaccharidosis Type II (MPS II) or Hunter Syndrome is a rare X-linked condition, due to a defect in a lysosomal enzyme involved in the breakdown of glycosaminoglycans. It is a progressive condition with worsening over time; however, symptom severity and progression rates vary. Normal intellectual function has been reported in males with mild MPS II but few studies are available that provide comprehensive cognitive profiles. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) can stabilize physical symptoms and has become standard treatment. Whether ERT can influence cognition is currently unknown. Considering this, we conducted cognitive, fine motor, and behavioural assessments with three males (7;6–12;1 years) with mild MPS II before and after ERT. Generally, cognition, fine motor skills, and behaviour were in the normal range; however, specific deficits in attention and executive function were identified. Following ERT, some memory improvements were seen. Executive deficits remained, and processing speed declined over time.

Global, Yet Incomplete Overview of Cohort Studies in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by heterogeneity and multifactorial longitudinal changes. To identify PD subtypes and factors influencing the disease course, multiple cohort studies have been designed globally. Knowledge about existing cohorts is pivotal to foster collaboration, which may help to advance the understanding of PD. To raise the awareness about PD cohorts and potential global collaboration opportunities. Observational cohort studies in clinical PD were identified by a European working group (JPND BioLoC-PD) and through literature search. Using a structured survey investigators of 44 cohorts provided basic information on cohorts and assessments performed. For the 44 cohorts (32% on early/de-novo PD), 14.666 participants (cohorts' median: 138; range: 23-3.090), a median 1.5-year follow-up interval (0.5-4 years) and a median (planned) observational period of 5 years (1-20 years) were indicated. All studies have assessed motor functions often using rating scales (UPDRS-III; 93% of studies) and less frequently quantitative gait/balance (25%) or fine motor assessments (27%). Cognitive (100%), neuropsychiatric (91%), daily living (78%), sleep (70%), sensory (63%), and gastrointestinal/autonomic (55%) assessments were common and often comparable. Neuroimaging data (82%) and biomaterial (69%) have been collected in many studies. Surprisingly, possible disease modifiers, such as sport/physical activity (11%), have rarely been assessed. Existing data of PD cohorts provide vast collaboration opportunities. We propose to establish a comprehensive, up-to-date, open-access internet platform with easy-to-use search tools of PD cohort descriptions and potentially available data. Bringing researchers together to enable collaborative joint, meta- and replication analyses is timely and necessary to advance PD research ultimately required for an understanding of PD that can be translated into more effective therapies.

Perception de la douleur chez les enfants autistes (étude prospective de 40 cas)

IntroductionIt has long been believed that the person with autism had insensibility or analgesia pain. However, recent studies show a different mode of expression of pain associated with disorders of verbal and nonverbal communication, body schema and some cognitive impairment. The aim of our study was to evaluate the reactivity of an autistic child in a slightly painful stimulation in a standardized situation where there is a dual relationship with an adult. MethodsWe conducted a study, in child and adolescent psychiatry service in Marrakech Avicenne military hospital, on 40 children with autism and mental retardation. The diagnosis of autism was established following a multidisciplinary assessment including placing scale ADIR (Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised) and ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule). Severity of autism was assessed by the scale CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale). All subjects were submitted to a pinch with a clothespin camouflaged by the palm of the hand of the examiner. The reactivity to pain was assessed by the NCCPC (Non-Communicating Children's Pain Checklist). ResultsData analysis has objectified the following results: the average age of the children was 4.89±1.04 years with a range of 3.5 years and 7 years. We find that 72.5% of children were male, all children have responded to pain, 57.5% had moderate to severe pain and 42.5% had mild pain. The evaluation of pain according to the severity of autism showed no correlation between the intensity of the pain and the severity of autism (P=0.745). Another evaluation of the expression of pain according to the items of the NCCPC scores showed that 95% of children responded with motor responses, 90% responded with vocal productions, only half of the children (55%) presented facial expressions and 12, 5% of the children showed physiological indices. The analysis of the type of motor and vocal reactions was not moving toward pain in almost all children (removal or protection of the area of the body affected, the precise location of the painful area are almost absent in our sample). ConclusionThese results are in favor of a different mode of expression of pain in children with autism, the fine and gross motor assessment, voice, facial and physiological responses remains important for better detection of pain in children with autism.

What assessments evaluate use of hands in infants? A literature review.

To identify assessments, applicable to infants aged 3 months to 12 months, measuring hand function, and to discuss their usefulness in assessing infants at risk of developing unilateral cerebral palsy (CP). Instruments described in two previous systematic reviews were scrutinized for inclusion of fine motor components. Additionally, a new literature search was performed in Medline, PsychInfo, PubMed, and Cinahl (2007-2013) to identify newly developed assessments of infant motor functioning. Five assessments from the two previous systematic reviews included fine motor components but only three provided separate measures of fine motor performance: the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales--version 2 (PDMS-2), the Bayley Scale of Infant and Toddler Development--version III, and the Posture and Fine Motor Assessment of Infants, each of which provided measures of the preferred hand only. From 531 papers retrieved, 10 new assessments were found, three of which met our inclusion criteria: the Infant Motor Profile (IMP), the Grasping and Reaching Assessment of Brisbane (GRAB), and the Hand Assessment for Infants (HAI). Only the GRAB and the HAI provide measures relevant for assessing infants at risk of developing unilateral cerebral palsy; however, both measures are still under construction. No currently available assessment for infants aged 3 to 12 months old measures aspects of hand function suitable for quantifying asymmetry between hands or quality of bimanual performance.

Gross and Fine Motor Differences Between Cameroonian and German Children Aged 3 to 40 Months

Based on longitudinal data, this study compared the gross and fine motor development of Cameroonian Nso children and German middle-class children with assessments at 3, 6, 9, and 40 months. A total of 345 infants from Cameroon ( n = 73) and Germany ( n = 272) were recruited for this study. Complete longitudinal gross and fine motor assessments based on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development III were available for subsamples of the originally recruited children. As the results show, the predictability of the 40-months assessments from the previous assessments at 3, 6, and 9 months was low. The early gross motor differences between the Cameroonian and the German children decreased across age. Although the differences had disappeared at 40 months at the Bayley scale level, differences at the item level were still substantial. In contrast to gross motor development, the cultural differences regarding fine motor development increased from 3 to 40 months. This increase was not only shown at the scale level but also reflected at the item level. The developmental pattern is discussed with regard to possible consequences for using developmental tests in different cultural contexts.

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure and Motor Performance at 4 Months.

The relation between prenatal cocaine exposure and quality of movement was studied at 4 mo using the Posture and Fine Motor Assessment of Infants (PFMAI-I). Posture and fine motor scores of 4-month-old infants exposed to cocaine in utero (n = 370) were compared with an unexposed group (n = 533) within the context of gestational age, medical and demographic characteristics, and level of prenatal substance exposure using the PFMAI-I. Infants prenatally exposed to cocaine had significantly lower posture scores than infants in the unexposed group. There was no main effect of cocaine exposure on fine motor scores; however, there were independent effects of gestational age at birth on both posture and fine motor scores at 4-mo corrected age. These findings demonstrate independent contributions of prenatal cocaine exposure and prematurity to risk of motor delay and support the validity of the PFMAI-I as a measure of motor competence in early infancy.

Development and validation of a fine-motor assessment tool for use with young children in a Chinese population

Objectives Most of the fine-motor assessment tools used in Hong Kong have been designed in Western countries, so there is a need to develop a standardized assessment which is relevant to the culture and daily living tasks of the local (that is, Chinese) population. This study aimed to (1) develop a fine-motor assessment tool (the Hong Kong Preschool Fine-Motor Developmental Assessment [HK-PFMDA]) for use with young children in a Chinese population and (2) examine the HK-PFMDA's psychometric properties. Method The HK-PFMDA was developed by a group of occupational therapists specializing in the area of developmental disabilities in Hong Kong. A panel of 21 experts reviewed the content validity of the instrument. Rasch item analysis was used to examine the model fit of items against the rating scale model, and to explore the dimensionality of the test. Intra- and interrater reliability, convergent validity, and criterion-related validity were examined. The participants included 783 children without disabilities, 45 with autistic spectrum disorder, and 35 with developmental delay. Results The Rasch analysis suggested that the 87-item HK-PFMDA had a unidimensional structure, as the items explained most (91.6%) of the variance. The HK-PFMDA demonstrated excellent intra- (ICC = .99) and interrater reliability (ICC = .99), and internal consistency ( α ranging from .83 to .92). In terms of validity, the HK-PFMDA had significant positive correlations with both age and the convergent measures of the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS-2). Conclusion A set of normative data for local children aged from birth to 6 years was established. The HK-PFMDA has shown excellent psychometric properties and is suitable for clinical application by occupational therapists in the assessment of fine-motor skills development of young children in Chinese populations.

Dev02 Development and Validation of a Fine Motor Assessment Tool for Young Children in a Chinese Population

Dev02 Development and Validation of a Fine Motor Assessment Tool for Young Children in a Chinese Population