Reliability of neurological soft signs in children: reevaluation of the PANESS.
Test-retest reliability and intellectual-behavioral correlates of a revised version of the Physical and Neurological Examination for Soft Signs (PANESS) were evaluated. The WISC-R and PANESS were administered to a heterogeneous clinical sample of 28 6- to 8-year-old children. Test-retest interval for PANESS retest was approximately 28 days with 15 children retested by same testers and the remaining children retested by different testers. Results indicated that PANESS total score is a reliable indicator of overall performance; tester assignment and retest had negligible effects on total score. Grade of subcategory scores proved unreliable across examiners but occurrence/nonoccurrence scores were more robust. Performance on the PANESS was significantly correlated with WISC-R indices sensitive to brain dysfunction, and behavioral factors implicated in the description of minor neurological dysfunction. Further research evaluating discriminant validity of the examination and changes in performance as a result of development is recommended.
D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D009048:Motor Skills; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014888:Wechsler Scales