S3, 1 - Monitoring Movements for Earlier CP Diagnosis With Dr. Colleen Peyton

For many families, a child’s cerebral palsy (CP) diagnosis is made around two years of age or even later. But diagnosing cerebral palsy earlier allows clinicians to take advantage of critical developmental periods during the first two years of life. During this time, a baby’s brain rapidly develops, and brain activity and pathways are shaped by their experiences. Starting interventions during critical periods of development means clinicians can positively affect later outcomes related to movement and other functions.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Dr. Colleen Peyton, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences and the Department of Pediatrics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Colleen discusses collaborative research funded by CPARF that is examining “fidgety movements.”  She and her team are using an innovative mobile application to study when fidgety movements are first seen in babies, how these movements relate to later outcomes at two years of age, and whether other types of early movements may also be important for predicting CP and other outcomes.