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. 2022 Dec 29;13(1):96.
doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13010096.

Design and Construct Validity of a Postural Control Test for Pre-Term Infants

Katarzyna Kniaziew-Gomoluch  1 , Andrzej Szopa  1   2 , Zenon Kidoń  3 , Andrzej Siwiec  4 , Małgorzata Domagalska-Szopa  5
Affiliations

Design and Construct Validity of a Postural Control Test for Pre-Term Infants

Katarzyna Kniaziew-Gomoluch et al. Diagnostics (Basel). .

Abstract

A review of the literature indicated that the greatest prognostic value for predicting motor impairment in high-risk infants is the absence of fidgety movements (FMs) at 3 months of post-term age. The purpose of the present study was to characterize a new posturometric test (PT) based on a center-of-pressure (CoP) movement analysis, in terms of design and construct validity, for the detection of postural control disturbances in pre-term infants. The comparative studies were carried out between pre-term infants who presented normal FMs (18 participants) and infants with absent FMs (19 participants), which consisted of the analysis of the CoP trajectory and CoP area in supine and prone positions using the force platform. New PT was performed simultaneously with GMs recorded using a force platform. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences between the groups of infants who presented absent FMs and normal FMs for almost all CoP parameters describing spontaneous sway in the supine position. Based on these preliminary results, it can be concluded, that the application of PT based on the analysis of CoP trajectory, area, and velocity in the supine position has been demonstrated to be valid for the detection of postural control disturbances in pre-term infants.

Keywords: force platform; general movements; postural control; posturometic test; pre-term infants.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study population.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Posturometric test in supine (A) and prone (B) positions.
Figure 3
Figure 3
ROC curve and the optimal cutoff points for individual variables in supine (A) and prone position (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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