General Movement Assessment in Early Diagnosis of Non-Progressive Chronic Encephalopathy of Childhood (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic Non-Progressive Encephalopathy of Childhood (ECNPI) refers to the group of non-progressive sensorimotor impairments secondary to damage to the Central Nervous System during an early stage of development. Its diagnosis is usually made between 18 and 24 months of age, when the infant demonstrates significant disabilities. Additionally, complementary exams are necessary, which increase the cost and delay the diagnostic process. The General Movement Assessment (GMA) allows the early diagnosis of ECNPI, which can optimize the initiation of physiotherapeutic treatment. Objective: To carry out an integrative review of the literature on the use of GMA in the early diagnosis of ECPNI. Results: A review was carried out containing articles from systematic or simple reviews and clinical trials, in English and Portuguese, published between 2011 and 2021 or with a number of citations greater than 40, in Google Scholar Pubmed and PEDro databases. Ten articles that evaluated GMA in the early diagnosis of ECNPI were included, with their methods and results tabulated. Conclusion: The literature suggests the use of GMA because it has low cost and high predictive values, specificity and diagnostic sensitivity for ECNPI. The GMA must be incorporated into newborn assessment routines, especially high-risk ones.