Title: Evidence-Based Infant Assessment for Cerebral Palsy: Diagnosis Timelines and Intervention Access in a Newborn Follow-up Setting
Legend: Age at cerebral palsy first mention and diagnosis. (A) Age at cerebral palsy first mention grouped by year of diagnosis; (B) age at diagnosis grouped by year of diagnosis; (C) age at cerebral palsy first mention grouped by number of evidence-based assessments received (of MRI, GMA, HINE); (D) age at diagnosis grouped by number of evidence-based assessments received (of MRI, GMA, HINE). *t test P < .05, †1-way analysis of variance, Tukey post hoc test, P <.05. GMA, General Movements Assessment; HINE, Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination; MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Citation: Sutter EN, Legare JM, Villegas MA, Collins KM, Eickhoff J, Gillick BT. Evidence-Based Infant Assessment for Cerebral Palsy: Diagnosis Timelines and Intervention Access in a Newborn Follow-up Setting. Journal of Child Neurology. 2024;0(0). doi:10.1177/08830738241279690
Abstract: Evidence-based assessment pathways inform early detection of cerebral palsy and access to intervention. This study investigated the relationships between early evidence-based assessments, diagnosis timeline, and rehabilitation intervention access in a population of children with cerebral palsy who were seen between 2010 and 2022 at the University of Wisconsin Waisman Center Newborn Follow Up Clinic. Cerebral palsy-specific assessments were increasingly integrated after the publication of early detection guidelines by Novak et al. in 2017. Age at cerebral palsy first mention (high risk for cerebral palsy) decreased over time, although age at diagnosis remained similar. Infants who received multiple evidence-based assessments were diagnosed at a younger age. Ninety-nine percent of children were referred to rehabilitation therapies before diagnosis. Infant age at referral to outpatient therapies decreased over time. This study provides novel clinical data on diagnosis timelines and identifies remaining gaps related to implementation feasibility toward improved early diagnosis and intervention access.
Investigator: Bernadette Gillick, PhD, MSPT, PT
About the Lab: The Pediatric Neuromodulation Laboratory at the Waisman Center investigates how the brain simultaneously develops and recovers after perinatal stroke in early infancy. Further, Gillick’s team investigates interventions using combined non-invasive brain stimulation with neurorehabilitation to optimize functional outcomes in children with cerebral palsy due to perinatal stroke. By understanding the patterns of brain recovery and the optimal timing of intervention, Gillick aims to improve functional outcomes early in life, for improved lifelong activity and participation.