Publications by authors named "Linda Ek"
Interrater and test-retest reliability of the Hand Assessment for Infants.
Dev Med Child Neurol
December 2021
Article Synopsis
- The study explores the reliability of the Hand Assessment for Infants (HAI), focusing on interrater and test-retest reliability, as well as the standard error of measurement (SEM) and smallest detectable difference (SDD).
- The assessment was conducted on 55 infants, including those with unilateral cerebral palsy and typically developing infants, using ratings from three experienced occupational therapists.
- The results indicate that HAI has excellent reliability scores (ICCs of 0.96-0.99), with low SDDs (2 points for Each Hand Sum and 3 units for Both Hands Measure), confirming that any changes reported beyond these values are meaningful in both research and clinical settings.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to establish normative reference values for hand use in infants at risk of cerebral palsy (CP) by utilizing the Hand Assessment for Infants (HAI), focusing on infants aged 3 to 12 months.
- - Researchers conducted 489 HAI assessments on typically developing infants from Italy and Sweden, finding consistent growth patterns in hand use with no significant differences based on sex or nationality, and only a negligible difference between right and left hand use.
- - The findings provide valuable HAI reference values to help detect atypical hand use in infants, with a result below 2 standard deviations from the mean indicating a potential concern, while most typically developing infants showed no hand use asymmetry.
Aim: To explore the effectiveness of baby-CIMT (constraint-induced movement therapy) and baby-massage for improving the manual ability of infants younger than 12 months with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP).
Method: Infants eligible for inclusion were 3-8 months old with asymmetric hand function and at high risk of developing unilateral CP. Thirty-seven infants were assigned randomly to receive baby-CIMT or baby-massage.
Development of the Hand Assessment for Infants: evidence of internal scale validity.
Dev Med Child Neurol
December 2017
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to create and evaluate an assessment tool for upper limb function in infants aged 3 to 12 months, focusing on those at risk for unilateral cerebral palsy.
- The Hand Assessment for Infants (HAI) includes 12 unimanual and 5 bimanual tasks, scored using a 3-point scale, and shows strong reliability and unidimensionality according to the Rasch model.
- The HAI effectively measures and quantifies bilateral hand use and asymmetry, proving to be a valid tool for assessing infants' hand function and tracking developmental concerns related to unilateral cerebral palsy.
What assessments evaluate use of hands in infants? A literature review.
Dev Med Child Neurol
April 2015
Aim: To identify assessments, applicable to infants aged 3 months to 12 months, measuring hand function, and to discuss their usefulness in assessing infants at risk of developing unilateral cerebral palsy (CP).
Method: Instruments described in two previous systematic reviews were scrutinized for inclusion of fine motor components. Additionally, a new literature search was performed in Medline, PsychInfo, PubMed, and Cinahl (2007-2013) to identify newly developed assessments of infant motor functioning.
Background: Infants with unilateral brain lesions are at high risk of developing unilateral cerebral palsy (CP). Given the great plasticity of the young brain, possible interventions for infants at risk of unilateral CP deserve exploration. Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is known to be effective for older children with unilateral CP but is not systematically used for infants.
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