Limitations of the Neurological Evolutional Exam (ENE) as a motor assessment for first graders.
BACKGROUND
many clinicians and researchers in Brazil consider the Neurological Developmental Exam (NDE), a valid and reliable assessment for Brazilian school-aged children. However, since its inception, several tests have emerged that, according to some researchers, provide more in-depth evaluation of motor ability and go beyond the detection of general motor status (soft neurological signs).


OBJECTIVE
to highlight the limitations of the NDE as a motor skill assessment for first graders.


METHODS
thirty-five children were compared on seven selected items of the NDE, seven of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test (BOT), and seven of the Visual-Motor Integration test (VMI). Participants received a "pass" or "fail" score for each item, as prescribed by the respective test manual.


RESULTS
chi-square and ANOVA results indicated that the vast majority of children (74%) passed the NDE items, whereas values for the other tests were 29% (BOT) and 20% (VMI). Analysis of specific categories (e.g. visual, fine, and gross motor coordination) revealed a similar outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
our data suggest that while the NDE may be a valid and reliable test for the detection of general motor status, its use as a diagnostic/remedial tool for identifying motor ability is questionable. One of our recommendations is the consideration of a revised NDE in light of the current needs of clinicians and researchers.
Department of Health and Kinesiology, College Station, Texas A & M University, TX 77843-4243, USA. priscilacacola@hlkn.tamu.edu
Priscila M
PM
Caçola
Tatiana G
TG
Bobbio
Amabile V
AV
Arias
Vanda G
VG
Gonçalves
Carl
C
Gabbard
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results