TUESDAY, Jan. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- The Brain Involvement iN Dystrophinopathies (BIND) screener is a robust tool that facilitates early identification of brain-related comorbidities in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), according to a study published online Jan. 14 in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.
Ruben Miranda, Ph.D., from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and colleagues developed an 18-item proxy-self-report screening tool covering nine comorbidity areas based on existing literature and expert consensus, translated into 11 languages. Reliability, construct validity, and diagnostic accuracy were assessed in the cross-sectional study using data from 835 individuals with DMD, ages 5 to 42 years. Ninety participants completed cognitive and behavioral assessments for concurrent validity analyses.
The researchers found that internal consistency for the BIND screener was excellent (α = 0.89) and had a factor structure that aligned with theoretical domains. Across domains, there were age-related patterns observed. In the validation subsample, the total score (Duchenne Brain Comorbidity Score) correlated with clinical and cognitive markers. In the full sample, a receiver operating characteristic analysis yielded an area under the curve of 0.78, with a cutoff score of 20/72 providing optimal sensitivity and specificity (71.6 and 72.5 percent, respectively) for identifying parent- or self-reported neurodevelopmental conditions previously diagnosed by professionals.
"Families often tell us that cognitive and behavioral difficulties can be as challenging as the physical symptoms of Duchenne," Miranda said in a statement. "This screener is designed to help identify those concerns earlier, so that children and adults can be referred for appropriate support."
One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.