ESSENCE-Q: Slavic language versions for developmental screening in young children

Validity of the ESSENCE-Q neurodevelopmental screening tool in Japan

AIM

To assess the validity of the Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations-Questionnaire (ESSENCE-Q), a simple screening tool for neurodevelopmental problems, in Japan.

METHOD

Parents/caregivers completed the 11-item ESSENCE-Q for 77 612 children aged 2 years 6 months included in a national birth cohort study. Information about neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs: autism spectrum disorder; intellectual disability and/or developmental language disorder; motor delay/motor disorder) was collected at age 3 years. Each ESSENCE-Q item was scored on a binary (0,1) scale, with a total score range of 0 to 11. Total scores and individual items were compared across children with and without NDDs.

RESULTS

NDDs were recorded in 854 children (1.1%). With a total ESSENCE-Q score cut-off of ≥3, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.91, with sensitivity 84.9%, specificity 84.8%, positive predictive value 5.9%, and negative predictive value 99.8%. The proportion of parental concerns at 2 years 6 months differed significantly by NDD status for communication (89.5% vs 14.2%) and general development (80.2% vs 7.4%). ESSENCE-Q total scores were moderately negatively correlated (-0.36, p < 0.001) with Japanese Ages and Stages Questionnaire scores.

INTERPRETATION

The parent/caregiver-completed ESSENCE-Q is useful as a tool for screening out children with neurotypical development at this early age. Further research into longer-term predictive validity will be possible as more NDD diagnoses are given as the children grow up.

The ESSENCE-Q: Can specialist supervision improve scoring agreement across specialist and public health nurses/nursery teachers?

AIM

This study aimed to explore whether the supervision of community public health nurses (PHNs) and nursery school teachers (NSTs) by a specialist, familiar with Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations (ESSENCE), improved the agreement of ESSENCE-Questionnaire (ESSENCE-Q) scoring, across raters.

METHODS

A PHN, two NSTs, and a speech-language pathologist (SLP), familiar with ESSENCE, independently assessed 32 children. The ESSENCE-Q results were divided into the first (child 1-18) and second groups (the 19th child and the following children). Changes in score discrepancies were analysed for ESSENCE-Q cutoff scores and total ESSENCE-Q scores across raters. The SLP scores were used as a reference to evaluate sensitivity and specificity.

RESULTS

The total ESSENCE-Q scores of the PHN and NSTs showed higher concordance in the second group (p < 0.05). Comparisons of the differences between the PHN/NSTs and SLP in total ESSENCE-Q scores showed a significantly smaller difference in the NSTs' scores in the second group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that specialist supervision may lead to a better agreement between PHN and NSTs regarding ESSENCE-Q scores.

Visuomotor tracking strategies in children: associations with neurodevelopmental symptoms

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) often display motor problems that may impact their daily lives. Studying specific motor characteristics related to spatiotemporal control may inform us about the mechanisms underlying their challenges. Fifty-eight children with varying neurodevelopmental symptoms load (median age: 5.6 years, range: 2.7-12.5 years) performed an interactive tablet-based tracking task. By investigating digit touch errors relative to the target's movement direction, we found that a load of neurodevelopmental symptoms was associated with reduced performance in the tracking of abrupt alternating directions (zigzag) and overshooting the target. In contrast, reduced performance in children without neurodevelopmental symptoms was associated with lagging behind the target. Neurodevelopmental symptom load was also associated with reduced flexibility in correcting for lateral deviations in smooth tracking (spiral). Our findings suggest that neurodevelopmental symptoms are associated with difficulties in motor regulation related to inhibitory control and reduced flexibility, impacting motor control in NDDs.

The ESSENCE-Questionnaire for Neurodevelopmental Problems - A Swedish School-Based Validation Study in 11-Year-Old Children

Purpose

To determine the prevalence of parent-rated developmental concern using the ESSENCE-Q (Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations-Questionnaire, 12-items, score range 0-24) and to ascertain the predictive validity and optimal cutoff level of the instrument in a school-based sample of 11-year-old children.

Methods

In a cross-sectional, school-based study, participants underwent a clinical assessment by a physician and a psychologist, teachers and parents completed the SDQ (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire), medical health records and national tests were reviewed, and parents independently completed the ESSENCE-Q. In a case-conference outcomes were defined as a) the need for further clinical work-up due to suspected neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs) and b) degree of investigator-rated symptoms/impairment from NDPs on the CGI-S (Clinical Global Impression-Severity instrument, range 1-7, 4-7 defined as clinically symptomatic). Classification and optimal cutoffs of the ESSENCE-Q were determined using ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) analysis.

Results

Out of 343 eligible children, 223 enrolled, of whom 173 (50% of all eligible) had a parent-rated ESSENCE-Q. At least one of the 12 possible concerns was reported by parents of 36% of participants. Overall, in 101 (57%) participants a work-up was warranted, and 64 (37%) were clinically symptomatic from NDPs. The AUC of the ESSENCE-Q in detecting need for work-up was 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.63-0.77), and the AUC in detecting clinically symptomatic participants was 0.82 (95% CI 0.76-0.88). ESSENCE-Q ratings correlated positively with CGI-S scores (r=0.48, p<0.05). A cutoff of ≥3 had the highest accuracy (78%) with a negative predictive value of 82%. Ratings >6 conferred few false positives cases with positive likelihood ratios >10 and positive predictive values of 86% or more.

Significance

This study of the ESSENCE-Q in 11-year-old children suggests it might be an acceptable instrument for screening of NDPs in children in middle school, optimally in conjunction with other methods.

Early neurodevelopmental problems and risk for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in 4-7-year-old children: A Japanese birth cohort study

Background

An overrepresentation of neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs) has been observed in individuals with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Previous studies on the association between ARFID and NDPs have been limited by cross-sectional data from clinical samples of small size. This study aimed to extend previous research by using prospectively collected data in a non-clinical child cohort. We examined the occurrence of early NDPs in 4-7-year-old children with suspected ARFID and how predictive early NDPs are of ARFID.

Methods

Data were collected via parent-report a sub-sample of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) including 3728 children born 2011-2014 in Kochi prefecture. NDPs were assessed biannually between 0.5 and 3 years of age with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3, at age 2.5 years with the ESSENCE-Q, and at age 1 and 3 years via parent-reported clinical diagnoses. ARFID was identified cross-sectionally (at age 4-7 years) using a newly developed screening tool. Logistic regressions were used to test association of (1) a composite early NDP risk score, (2) specific early NDPs, and (3) neurodevelopmental trajectories over time with ARFID.

Results

Children in the highest risk percentiles of the NDP risk score had roughly three times higher odds of having suspected ARFID; the absolute risk of later ARFID for children above the 90th percentile was 3.1%. Early NDPs (excluding early feeding problems) were more predictive of later ARFID than were early feeding problems. Specific NDPs predictive of ARFID were problems with general development, communication/language, attention/concentration, social interaction, and sleep. Neurodevelopmental trajectories of children with and without suspected ARFID started to divert after age 1 year.

Conclusions

The results mirror the previously observed overrepresentation of NDPs in ARFID populations. In this non-clinical child cohort, early feeding problems were common and rarely developed into ARFID; however, our findings imply that they should be monitored closely in children with high NDP risk to prevent ARFID.

Predictive validity of ESSENCE Q screening tool for early detection of neurodevelopmental disorder in children

INTRODUCTION

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are a group of conditions that typically manifest early during the child's development with lifelong consequences. Early identification using efficient screening tools can positively modify the natural history of the disorder. ESSENCE Q is a simple questionnaire to detect ESSENCE (Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations to reflect the co-existence of NDDs in children less than five years). There are limited studies on the validity of ESSENCE Q in detecting NDDs in young children in India.

METHODS

We did a cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital to evaluate the validity of ESSENCE Q in detecting neurodevelopmental disorders. We translated the ESSENCE Q and subsequently used it to screen for NDD in 100 children aged 12-60 months. Clinical consensus diagnosis by two experienced experts was taken as the gold standard.

RESULTS

23% were diagnosed as having NDD as per the clinical consensus diagnosis. Around half the children (46%) were "at-risk for NDD" based on the ESSENCE Q scale. We found an optimal cut-off for ESSENCE Q of more than or equal to 4 with a sensitivity of 96%, a specificity of 82%, and a Youden index of 0.77.

CONCLUSION

ESSENCE Q has good predictive validity to be used as a quick and easy screening tool to detect NDDs in young children under the age of 5 years.

How Accurately Does the Information on Motor Development Collected During Health Checkups for Infants Predict the Diagnosis of Neurodevelopmental Disorders? - A Bayesian Network Model-Based Study

PURPOSE

We investigated to what extent early motor development problems predict a future diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs)/Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Examinations (ESSENCE) by using a Bayesian network model (BN).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Subjects were the children who had participated in the 18- and 36-month checkups in two cities in Japan between April 2014 and March 2015. Their motor development data at the 4-, 10- and 18-month-checkups were collected with ethical consideration. The diagnosis was confirmed at the age of six, after regular assessment in all developmental areas at a neurodevelopmental clinic. The accuracy of prediction of NDD based on posterior probabilities determined using the BN was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). The posterior probability (the optimal cut-off value) yielding the maximum Youden Index (sensitivity + specificity - 1) is determined with the ROC curve, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and utility index (UI) were computed.

RESULTS

BN models showed associations between early motor items and developmental coordination disorders, borderline intelligence/intellectual disability, and speech and language disorder. The ROC curve for any NDD had an AUC of 0.735. The posterior probability with the maximal Youden Index was 0.138; at the optimal cut-off value, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, UI+, and UI- were 0.619, 0.761, 0.250, 0.940, 0.155 and 0.715, respectively.

CONCLUSION

We utilized a novel approach in detailing the associations between certain early motor problems and specific NDDs. We showed that the presence of motor development problems early in development increases the probability of a future diagnosis of any NDD. Still, the sensitivity of early motor development problems as a screening tool was not high enough to be the sole instrument for detecting NDDs. The need for a broad, holistic ESSENCE perspective when looking at the course of motor development problems was stressed.

The ESSENCE-Questionnaire in Medical Records Screening for Neurodevelopmental Symptoms/Problems: Utility and Clinical Validity

PURPOSE

Determine the prevalence of symptoms of neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs) with a semi-structured review of fourth grade students' medical records, its interrater agreement and validity as compared with clinical assessment.

METHODS

A school-based sample of 11-year-old children provided child health care (CHC) records and school health care (SHC) records. A pediatric neurologist, child psychiatrist and an adult psychiatrist scored the records, with the "Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations-Questionnaire" (ESSENCE-Q, 12 items scored 0-2, summary score range 0-24). Agreement was measured with model-based kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Ratings were validated against a multidisciplinary assessment involving a physician, psychologist, teacher- and parental behavioral rating scales rendering a clinical global impression severity rating (CGI-S, range 1-7) of NDPs.

RESULTS

Out of 223 participants, medical charts were available from 201, of whom 169 were rated by all three raters. Kappa agreement was moderate/strong (~0.8) for 7 of the 12 questionnaire items. Measured with the ICC, concordance in the summary score was good for agreement (~0.8) and excellent (~0.9) for consistency. Test-retest reliability was excellent (ICC = ~0.9). Area under the curve for the ESSENCE-Q in predicting clinical-level problems (CGI ≥4) was ~80% for all three raters, albeit with differing optimal cutoffs.

CONCLUSION

Using the ESSENCE-Q as a template, NDPs appear to be common in medical records, are identified reliably, and predict clinical-level concern. Medical records screening may facilitate a structured review of medical records in work-ups or be applied in conjunction with other screening measures for neurodevelopmental disorders. However, differences in calibration currently preclude defining a universal cutoff for using the ESSENCE-Q for medical records screening.

Parent Questionnaires in the Evaluation of Pre-School Children Referred for Neuropsychiatric Assessment

One-hundred twenty-four pre-school children referred for assessment to a neuropsychiatric team were included in this study of the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), ESSENCE-Q, and Conners Abbreviated Parent-Teacher Rating Scale (CAPRS). All three questionnaires showed a good correlation towards severity of symptoms in ASD. The ABC questionnaire was, as has been shown in earlier research less accurate in identifying individuals with ASD having an IQ within the normal range. However the ESSENCE-Q, and the CAPRS proved to identify children with difficulties needing further assessment regardless of intellectual ability. The CAPRS showed a good correlation to severity in ASD indicating difficulties in the regulation of activity and behavior likely to be connected to ASD in pre-school children.

Practice Patterns and Potential Barriers to Early Diagnosis of Autism in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Preliminary Study

The aim of this preliminary study was to identify the practice patterns and potential barriers to diagnosing autism in Bosnia & Herzegovina. 126 children aged 23 to 94 months with developmental concerns referred to treatment centers participated in the study. Although parents had reported developmental problems in their children usually around the age of 17 months, it took them 812 visits to professionals (> 6 visits per child) over several months (mean 16.8, range 2-52 months) to get diagnosed with any developmental disorder. Only 8 children (6.3%) received a diagnosis of autism. However, when we re-examined 110 of the 126 children, 90 of them (71%) were identified with autism. Implications of these findings are discussed.

The use of an impact framework to evaluate the impact of research on policy and practice: Screening questionnaires for intellectual disability

There is an increasing emphasis on the importance of research having an impact on policy and practice. This can be more difficult to evidence in intellectual disability services because of the wide range of stakeholders involved. We evaluated whether an impact questionnaire covering: knowledge production, capacity building, informing policy and practice, social and economic benefits could successfully be used to evaluate the impact of research into and use of two screening questionnaires: the Learning Disability Screening Questionnaire (LDSQ) and Child and Adolescent Intellectual Disability Screening Questionnaire (CAIDS-Q). We conducted an online search for published peer reviewed and grey literature, and Internet resources that referenced LDSQ and/or CAIDS-Q. The resultant literature and resources were assessed for relevance and organized according to the categories outlined in the impact questionnaire. Evidence was found for all the areas of impact, with the largest body of evidence being in relation to informing policy and practice and social benefits and the least for economic benefits. The impact questionnaire provided the basis for a comprehensive and useful evaluative framework to assess impact, although there was some overlap between the different categories. The process of using it highlighted some wider issues to consider when attempting to evaluate impact. The results indicated that the research underpinning the LDSQ and CAIDS-Q had resulted in significant, generally positive, and wide-reaching impact on policy and practice in intellectual disability and other services, resulting in a number of positive outcomes.

ESSENCE-Q obtained in routine Japanese public child health check-ups may be a valuable tool in neurodevelopmental screening

AIM

Our aim was to extend the validity of a questionnaire developed for screening and identifying early symptomatic syndromes eliciting neurodevelopmental clinical examinations-questionnaire (ESSENCE-Q) in young children.

METHODS

Early symptomatic syndromes eliciting neurodevelopmental clinical examinations-questionnaire data for 207 children, living in Aki City, Japan, in 2014-2015, were obtained from mothers, public health nurses and psychologists at 20- and 40-month routine check-ups at child healthcare centres. These were checked against subsequent ESSENCE diagnoses made by physicians. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed, and the area under the curves was compared. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPVs) and negative predictive values were calculated at optimal cut-off values. The clinical utility index was also calculated.

RESULTS

When the ESSENCE-Q was used by public health nurses, it demonstrated good validity, in terms of high sensitivity and high NPVs, at the 20-month check-up, but not at 40 months. Psychologists demonstrated good validity at both ages, but mothers did not. Good negative utility indexes, indicating screening accuracy, were obtained from the psychologists at both check-ups and from nurses at 20 months.

CONCLUSION

The ESSENCE-Q results used by nurses and psychologists showed good validity. Future studies should confirm the effectiveness of this tool to identify children in need of clinical detailed neurodevelopmental assessment.