[Is there room for the pediatric neurological examination in the 21st century? A contribution to clinical research on development].

AIM: To underscore the importance of the pediatric neurological examination for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of nervous system disorders in children. For that, we reviewed the research carried out by our group in the past 40 years.

DEVELOPMENT: Knowing the semiology of neurological development is essential for the neurological, psychological and motor follow-up of children. On their own, neuroimaging techniques are not sufficient to predict the long-term neurological and psychomotor consequences of perinatal events. On the other hand, the neurological examination is a sensitive method with good prognostic value, which facilitates a timely and appropriate treatment intervention. This observation has been confirmed by our research focused on the neurological examination, including the study of the developmental neurological examination in preschoolers, assessment of the psychological and neurological maturity in school age children, development of preterm-born school age children, limb-trunk coordination in premature newborns and their development, relationship between higher brain function, learning to read and write and improving the diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in school children, neurological disorders in newborns, birth trauma, jaw opening reflex to appendicular compression, parachute and lateral propping reactions in newborns, neurological and psychomotor development at 6 months of corrected age in premature babies with neonatal crises and/or intracranial hemorrhage, and neurological examination in healthy newborns.

CONCLUSIONS

The neuropediatrician must be aware of the importance of a comprehensive neurological history and consistent semiology to be able to request and correctly evaluate the results of ancillary tests, and thus make adequate treatment decisions.