The objective of this study is to establish a reliable method of early detection of cerebral palsy (CP). The research questions to be clarified are: What is the predictive value of the spontaneous general movements of very low birthweight (VLBW) infants in the first months of life to diagnsois of CP? What is the predictive value of elicited movements of VLBW infats characterized by the Neurobehavioral Assessment of the Preterm Infant (NAPI) before term age to the diagnosis of CP? What is the predictive value of MR brain imaging before term age to the diagnosis of CP? Are combinations of the above assessments more predicitive than an individual measure? Early identification of CP would provide a window of opportunity for early intervention that may ameliorate the impact of CP on motor function. Further research generated by this study would focus on optimizing methods of intervention for improving the motor function for infants diagnosed early with CP.
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