Background: Prechtl's method on the qualitative assessment of general movements (GMs) is a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for the assessment of the integrity of the young nervous system.
Aim: To find out whether the ability to assess GMs correctly could be gained after receiving a few days' standardised training.
Study design: We evaluated 700 scoring sheets (containing a total of 8019 assessments) from the final tests of 18 training courses held between 1997 and 2002.
Results: Eighty-three per cent of the assessments were correct after completing a 4- to 5-day training course. The correct discrimination between normal and abnormal GMs was 92%. It proved more difficult to assess infants correctly if they had been recorded around term age.
Conclusion: Standardised training courses enable professionals in the field of infant and child neurology to apply Prechtl's method of GM assessment accurately.