AIIMS Doctors develop App to diagnose Neuro Development Disorders in children

Written by Shagufta Perween Perween Published On 2019-04-07T11:30:02+05:30 | Updated On 8 Dec 2022 3:41 PM IST

This AIIMS App, PedNeuroAiimsDiagnostics has diagnostic tools for Epilepsy, Autism, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Neuromotor impairment (NMI)

New Delhi: The doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi (AIIMS New Delhi) have developed an application through which it would get easier to diagnose neuro-development disorders in children at an early stage.

The app can diagnose Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a child between the ages of one to 14 years. Besides autism, the app would also help to check whether a child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Neuro-Motor Impairments (NMI), or Epilepsy. The Doctors at AIIMS New Delhi came up with the app named PedNeuroAiimsDiagnostics which is available on both Google Play and App Store.

This app has diagnostic tools for Epilepsy, Autism, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Neuromotor impairment (NMI)

The Autism spectrum disorder is a complex neurological and developmental disorder which is diagnosed on the basis of behavioural symptoms during the second year of life or later. Since there is no medical test like a blood test for autism; therefore it is mainly diagnosed by observing a child's behaviour and development. Early identification and interventions may help children with autistic disorders.

The App asks for the name, age, and gender of the child before moving towards the questions. After storing the answers to the questions, a diagnosis is given at the end.

Features of the application

The application contains a list of 57 questions to be completed by parents or teachers

The questions are divided into five categories: sensory, relating, body and object use, language, and social and self-help

Designed primarily to identify children with autism from a population of school-age children with severe disabilities. However, it has been used with children as young as three years

The reported sensitivity and specificity of the ABC in referral samples range from 38 to 58 percent and 76 to 97 percent, respectively

The Head of Child Neurology Division of the Department of Paediatrics, AIIMS, Dr Sheffali Gulati told the TOI, "With the help of this app, even a paediatrician can assess whether a child has ASD or not. It is based on the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-5)."

The application is being welcomed by the medical professionals as it would be a great help for early diagnosis of Epilepsy, Autism, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Neuromotor impairment (NMI).

Dr SK Chandan from neurology department of Safdarjung hospital told the HT, "It is a good tool to guide physicians so that a disorder is not missed. But, diagnosis is just the start, getting to a proper treatment centre is still a challenge for many."

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Shagufta Perween Perween