Early motor and pre-linguistic verbal development in Prader-Willi syndrome – A case report. (May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pansy, Jasmin; Barones, Cornelia; Urlesberger, Berndt; Pokorny, Florian B.; Bartl-Pokorny, Katrin D.; Verheyen, Sarah; Marschik, Peter B.; Einspieler, Christa
• Is Part Of: Research in developmental disabilities. Volume 88(2019)
• Page Start: 16
• Page End: 21
• Publication Date: 2019-05
• Subjects: General movements -- General movement assessment -- Motor development -- Verbal development -- Developmental delay; Developmental disabilities -- Periodicals; Developmentally disabled -- Research -- United States -- Periodicals; Developmentally disabled children -- Education -- Research -- United States -- Periodicals; Developmental Disabilities -- Periodicals; Disabled -- Periodicals; Mental Retardation -- rehabilitation -- Periodicals; Personnes atteintes de troubles du développement -- Recherche -- États-Unis -- Périodiques; Enfants atteints de troubles du développement -- Éducation -- Recherche -- États-Unis -- Périodiques; Développement, Troubles du -- Recherche -- États-Unis -- Périodiques; 616.858800
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2019.01.012
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0891-4222

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic disorder. Infants with PWS show a neurodevelopmental dysfunction which entails a delayed motor and language development, but studies on their spontaneous movements (i.e. general movements) or pre-linguistic speech-language development before 6 months of age are missing so far. Aim: To describe early motor and pre-linguistic verbal development in an infant with PWS. Methods and procedures: Prospective case report; in addition to the assessment of general movements and the concurrent movement repertoire, we report on early verbal forms, applying the Stark Assessment of Early Vocal Development-Revised. Outcomes and results: General movements were abnormal on days 8 and 15. No fidgety movements were observed at 11 weeks; they only emerged at 17 weeks and lasted until at least 27 weeks post-term. The movement character was monotonous, and early motor milestones were only achieved with a delay. At 27 weeks the infant produced age-adequate types of vocalisations. However, none of the canonical-syllable vocalisations that typically emerge at that age were observed. Early vocalisations appeared monotonous and with a peculiarly harmonic structure. Conclusions and implications: Early motor and pre-linguistic verbal behaviours were monotonous in an infant with PWS throughout his first 6 months of life. This suggests that early signs of neurodevelopmental dysfunction (i.e. abnormal general movements) might already be diagnosed in infants with PWS during their first weeks of life, potentially enabling us to diagnose and intervene at an early stage.