Stimuler la réflexion, s’ouvrir à de nouvelles perspectives, suivre l’actualité des recherches, des pratiques et des initiatives en santé publique, débattre: autant de fonctions remplies par les colloques du Département épidémiologie et systèmes de santé (DESS). Lors de chaque session, des spécialistes d’horizons divers viennent présenter l’état de leurs recherches, leurs expériences ou leurs projets.
Ces colloques, ouverts au public, s’adressent à un large public de professionnelles et professionnels de la santé. Ils sont recommandés par la Société suisse des spécialistes en prévention et santé publique (SPHD) pour la reconnaissance de la formation continue.
«Zurich Neuromotor Assessment (ZNA): 40 years of progress and innovation»
To describe the evolution of the neuromotor system over the lifespan has been challenging over the last 40 years. In a Children’s Hospital it is sometimes necessary to follow the development of the child by studying its motor progress, also, motor functions are easily accessible, visible and measurable.
About 40 years ago, our department started to measure children on their motor progress and was able to provide Swiss norms for motor development. One of the key points of the motor assessment is that TIME is a good indicator of the progress of the motor function (the faster the better). Additionally, the QUALITY of the movements is another good indicator for involvement of the neuromotor system.
With the first tests in the nineties only children were tested from 5 to 18 years old. Since the last 20 years we are able to integrate children younger than 5 years and subjects over 18 years as motor development is not finished at 18. The earlier years are not always measurable but with a statistical method like the poor man’s data augmentation algorithm, we were able to integrate the very young ones in the test. Also, the motor development (and deterioration) with data from 18 until 80 years are now integrated in the test.
The new Zurich Motor Assessment (ZNA) enables us to study the evolution of motor functions over the life span and to study differences in aging for different motor functions, males and females.
Tanja H Kakebeeke: Since 1981 physiotherapist; since 1984 Bobath-instructor; since 1991 human movement scientist; since 1999 PhD in neurophysiology; since 2008 Venia Legendi; since 1984 adjunct professor in neurophysiology; currently connected to the University Children’s Hospital Zurich.
Jon Caflisch: Specialist in Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine since 1992, PhD 1996. Clinical staff member at the Department of Growth and Development from 1991 (Prof. Remo Largo) to 2025 (Prof. Oskar Jenni, Department of Developmental Paediatrics), and research associate for the Zurich Longitudinal Studies.
