In a research programme concerned with the consequences of biological risk factors on neurological and behavioural development in infants and children, the combined use of different motion analysis techniques is a must in order to find satisfactory answers to research questions. These questions focus on three main areas. First, investigating the movement behaviour of brain-damaged infants with a high risk of developmental disturbances (e.g. periventricular leukomalacia). Second, identifying developmental transitions in perceptual-motor behavior (e.g. fetal behavior, reaching, grasping, kicking and walking). Third, examining visual information sources used in the control of movements (e.g. catching and road-crossing).

Two problems in data collection must be solved. First, no single system exists to tackle these questions. In isolation, each technique cannot provide answers to these questions. The presentation will illustrate how this problem is overcome by using a combination of different motion analysis techniques (e.g. force-plate, 3-D motion system and video), in combination with each other and with other techniques used in the hospital (e.g. MRI and ultrasonographics). Second, data collection related to infants necessitates special arrangements to allow the (relatively) unobtrusive collection of data with a sufficient level of accuracy. Part of this presentation will focus on how these difficulties are being solved.

Perceptual Motor Development and Learning Group: Centre for Biophysical and Clinical Research into Human Movement, Manchester Metropolitan, Manchester, UK, & Research Institute for Fundamental and Clinical Human Movement Sciences, VU, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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