Report Viewer

NINDS CDE Notice of Copyright
Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP)
Availability
Please visit this website for more information about the instrument: Test of Infant Motor Performance
Classification
Supplemental - Highly Recommended: Cerebral Palsy (CP)
Short Description of Instrument
The Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) was developed to identify infants that are high risk for poor motor performance as well as to show motor performance over time. (Pederzolli, 2015) It is validated in infants aged 34 weeks post-conceptional age to 4 months post-term. (Campbell et al., 1995, 2002, 2008) The TIMP combines observation of infant movement and eliciting movement to assess both posture control and motor function.
Comments/Special Instructions
Clinical Applications: Along with identifying infants that are high risk for poor motor performance and showing progress with motor performance over time, the TIMP can also be used to plan and assess outcomes of intervention for babies with low scores.
 
The TIMP must be performed by a trained provider. The provider performing the test first observes the infant. Then using standardized procedures, administers items to elicit a response. A manual with testing items is required and must be purchased. Training can be done through a purchased instructional video, workshop, or online.
 
Administration Time: 20-40 minutes
Scoring and Psychometric Properties
Scoring: There are a total of 42 possible items for scoring. Thirteen are dichotomous items from the observation portion of the test with 29 items for the elicited portion of the test. These 29 items are scored on a four to seven-item rating scale. Raw scores, percentile ranks, age equivalent and growth scores can be used for interpretation.
 
Psychometric Properties: Construct validity shows that it can discriminate between infants at low and high risk of motor problems. It is sensitive to age related change. May be able to discriminate infants with CP as young as 8 weeks of age. Has adequate concurrent validity with Alberta Infant Motor Scales through 3 months in term and preterm infants. Sensitivity and Specificity for predicting motor delay at 6 months of age in term and preterm infants was 62.5% (43.1-81.9) and 77.4% (67.0-87.8). The test-retest reliability for 116 pairs of tests of r = .89 over 3 days; no significant difference between testers. The standardization of data is based on age standards developed from a sample of 990 U.S. infants of all races/ethnicities. The TIMP predicts, "12-month motor performance with sensitivity 92% and specificity 76% and preschool motor performance with sensitivity 72% and specificity 91% at 3 months of age." (Pederzolli, 2015)
Rationale/Justification
This is a normed reference measure, originally validated in 990 infants in the United States at risk of a poor neurologic outcome. This is validated for use in preterm infants.
  
Strengths: Provides valuable predictive information on motor development of age group tested and sensitive to show effects of physical therapy provided to high risk infants in the special care nursery.
 
Weaknesses: Requires expensive training workshops to learn how to administer.
References
Key References:
Campbell SK. The Test of Infant Motor Performance. Test User's Manual Version 2.0. Chicago: Infant Motor Performance Scales, LLC, 2005.
 
Campbell SK.Test User's Manual for the Test of Infant Motor Performance V.3 for the TIMP Version 5. Chicago: Infant Motor Performance Scales, LLC, 2012.
 
Campbell SK, Zawacki L, Rankin KM, Yoder JC, Shapiro N, Li Z, White-Traut R. Concurrent validity of the TIMP and the Bayley III scales at 6 weeks corrected age. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2013 Winter;25(4):395-401.
 
Campbell SK, Swanlund A, Smith E, Liao PJ, Zawacki L. Validity of the TIMPSI for estimating concurrent performance on the test of infant motor performance. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2008 Spring;20(1):3-10.
 
Campbell SK, Kolobe TH, Wright BD, Linacre JM. Validity of the Test of Infant Motor Performance for prediction of 6-, 9- and 12-month scores on the Alberta Infant Motor Scale. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2002 Apr;44(4):263-72.
 
Campbell SK, Kolobe TH, Osten ET, Lenke M, Girolami GL. Construct validity of the test of infant motor performance. Phys Ther. 1995 Jul;75(7):585-96.
 
Additional References:
Barbosa VM, Campbell SK, Berbaum M. Discriminating infants from different developmental outcome groups using the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) item responses. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2007 Spring;19(1):28-39.
 
Barbosa VM, Campbell SK, Sheftel D, Singh J, Beligere N. Longitudinal performance of infants with cerebral palsy on the Test of Infant Motor Performance and on the Alberta Infant Motor Scale. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr. 2003;23(3):7-29.
 
Flegel J, Kolobe TH. Predictive validity of the test of infant motor performance as measured by the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency at school age. Phys Ther. 2002 Aug;82(8):762-71.
 
Guimar?es CL, Reinaux CM, Botelho AC, Lima GM, Cabral Filho JE. Motor development evaluated by Test of Infant Motor Performance: comparison between preterm and full-term infants. Rev Bras Fisioter. 2011 Sep-Oct;15(5):357-62.
 
Langkamp DL & Harris S. Predicting preschool motor and cognitive performance in appropriate-for-gestational-age children born at = 32 weeks gestation. Infant Child Develop. 1992;1(2):89-96.
 
Murney ME, Campbell SK. The ecological relevance of the Test of Infant Motor Performance elicited scale items. Phys Ther. 1998 May;78(5):479-89.
 
Noble Y, Boyd R. Neonatal assessments for the preterm infant up to 4 months corrected age: a systematic review. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2012;54(2):129-39.
 
Noble Y, Boyd R. Neonatal assessments for the preterm infant up to 4 months corrected age: a systematic review. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2012 Feb;54(2):129-39.
 
Pederzolli N. Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP): Elon University; 2015 Retrieved 06Oct2023 from: http://blogs.elon.edu/ptkids/2015/03/12/test-of-infant-motor-performance-timp/.
 
Spittle AJ, Doyle LW, Boyd RN. A systematic review of the clinimetric properties of neuromotor assessments for preterm infants during the first year of life. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2008 Apr;50(4):254-66.
 
Washington KA, Harris SR. Mental and motor development of low birth-weight infants with normal developmental outcomes. Pediatr Phys Ther. 1989 Winter;1(4):159-65.
 
Document last updated November 2023