Psychometric properties of the Infant Motor Profile (IMP): A scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION: The IMP is a novel video-based instrument to assess motor behavior of infants. It evaluates gross and fine motor behavior in five domains: variation, adaptability, symmetry, fluency, and performance. The latter assesses motor milestones, the other four domains assess qualitative aspects of movements. Literature suggests that it is a promising tool for pediatric health care, as its assists early detection of neurodevelopmental disorders and facilitates the design and monitoring of early intervention. This, this scoping review (ScR) aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Infant Motor Profile (IMP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic search will be conducted to identify relevant studies up to October 15, 2022. All papers published in English that evaluated or used the IMP in children under two years of age will be included. The search will be performed in Pubmed, Lilacs, PEDro, Scielo, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, Ovid PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, as well as in gray literature sources following the University of Toronto library guidelines. Standardized data extraction forms (Excel Tables) will be used to collect information. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for the Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist and JBI guidelines will be taken into consideration for results analysis and reporting. DISCUSSION: This Scoping Review will summarize available knowledge on the psychometric properties of the IMP. By proving that IMP is a reliable tool, a valid predictor of neurodevelopmental outcomes and a responsive instrument to measure change induced by early intervention, this will facilitate the implementation of the IMP in pediatric health care. It will assist the detection of infants at high risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, and it will facilitate the design of the tailor-made early intervention. SCOPING REVIEW PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: This scoping review protocol has been registered at Open Science Framework (OSF) (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/4HYKZ).