KANET Test in Clinical Practice: Lessons Learned and Future Challenges
Panos Antsaklis, Asim Kurjak
Keywords :
Cerebral palsy, Early diagnosis, Fetal neurology, Fetal neurological profile, Fetal assessment, Kurjak's antenatal neurodevelopmental test
Citation Information :
Antsaklis P, Kurjak A. KANET Test in Clinical Practice: Lessons Learned and Future Challenges. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2023; 17 (2):165-180.
Assessing fetal neurobehavior during pregnancy has been challenging due to limited evaluation methods. Conditions such as cerebral palsy, often misattributed to labor incidents, actually originate during fetal development. This highlights the poor understanding and diagnosis of neurological problems. Recent advancements, such as Kurjak's antenatal neurodevelopmental test (KANET) test utilizing four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound technology, offer a way to study fetal neurobehavior in utero, define normal profiles, and identify abnormalities. Multicentric studies have demonstrated the utility of KANET, which has been standardized and successfully integrated into clinical practice for both high and low-risk cases, in understanding fetal neurology, particularly in uncertain cases like ventriculomegaly, providing comprehensive assessment and counseling for affected couples. KANET exhibits good sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and acceptable variability among observers. With proper training and access to 4D ultrasound machines, ultrasound specialists can easily learn and apply KANET. This method has the potential to identify fetuses at risk for neurological impairment, enabling timely interventions, and improved outcomes through early diagnosis and appropriate follow-up.
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