title: Early developmental screening: sensitivity and specificity of chronological and adjusted scores.
abstract: The motor development of 75 preterm infants was assessed at 4 months chronological and 4 months adjusted ages using the Movement Assessment of Infants (MAI). Infants were followed until 18 months old when neurological and motor outcomes were assessed by a developmental pediatrician, and outcomes were classified as normal, suspicious, or abnormal. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated at the two points in time using a variety of cutoff MAI scores. At 4 months, the practice of adjusting for prematurity resulted in the better combination of screening rates for the detection of both neurologically abnormal and neurologically abnormal/suspicious children. To obtain comparable rates, different cutoff MAI scores were used to identify the neurologically abnormal versus the neurologically abnormal/suspicious children. The optimal combination of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values varies according to the age of assessment, the disorders being identified, and the cutoff scores employed.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Piper
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Pinnell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Darrah
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Watt
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D012307:Risk Factors