Chapter 1 – Basic Concepts of Developmental Neurology and Chapter 2 – What are Spontaneous Movements? from Prechtl’s Method on the Qualitative Assessment of General Movements in Preterm, Term and Young Infants

About the Complete Book

A quick, non-invasive, non-intrusive and cost-effective method with high reliability and high validity is much in demand for the early detection of neurological anomalies which point to cerebral palsy and developmental deficits later on in life.

Over his years as a distinguished developmental neurologist, Heinz Prechtl has devised such a method; a qualitative assessment of general movements (GMs) as a specific predictor for neurological impairments. His method is described in this book.

GMs form part of a distinct pattern of movements in preterm babies, term newborns and young infants. They are complex, frequent, and usually of sufficient length. Changes in the normal quality of GMs are a reliable indicator of brain dysfunction.

Supporting Videos 

Videos to accompany 15 cases selected from the book are free to download with every book purchase. Each is of about one minute in duration and demonstrates the different age-specific movement patterns.

Clinics in Developmental Medicine No. 167

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• Complete Book Contents:
• AUTHORS' APPOINTMENTS vii
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS viii
• INTRODUCTION: HOW IT ALL CAME ABOUT ix
• 1. BASIC CONCEPTS OF DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROLOGY 1
• 2. WHAT ARE SPONTANEOUS MOVEMENTS? 5
• 3. HOW TO RECORD AND ASSESS GENERAL MOVEMENTS 19
• 4. WHAT COULD INTERFERE WITH THE QUALITY OF GENERAL MOVEMENTS? 29
• 5. HOW OBJECTIVE, RELIABLE AND VALID IS THE GENERAL MOVEMENT ASSESSMENT? 35
• 6. THE CLINICAL APPLICATION OF THE METHOD 46
• 7. QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT IS AN INSENSITIVE INDICATOR OF IMPAIRED INTEGRITY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM 63
• 8. BRAIN ULTRASOUND AND GENERAL MOVEMENT ASSESSMENT 65
• 9. NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION AND GENERAL MOVEMENT ASSESSMENT 67
• 10. WHAT OTHER METHODS OF GENERAL MOVEMENT ASSESSMENT EXIST? 72
• EPILOGUE 75
• REFERENCES 76
• INDEX 86

Supporting Videos

Videos to accompany 15 cases selected from the book are free to download with every book purchase. Each is of about one minute in duration and demonstrates the different age-specific movement patterns.

'The book is an important contribution in the growing methodological paradigm of defining characteristic phenotypes for a better understanding of clinical conditions and prognosis.' European Journal of Paediatric Neurology

• Prechtl's Method on the Qualitative Assessment of General Movements in Preterm, Term and Young Infants - Chapter 1: Basic Concepts of Developmental Neurology & Chapter 2: What are Spontaneous Movements? (free ebook)