This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zwinkels, A. Articles by van Heugten, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zwinkels, A. Articles by van Heugten, C. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Assessment of apraxia: inter-rater reliability of a new apraxia test, association between apraxia and other cognitive deficits and prevalence of apraxia in a rehabilitation setting

Rehabilitation Centre Blixembosch, Institute for Rehabilitation Research and Institute Brain and Behaviour, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands

Chantal Geusgens

Institute for Rehabilitation Research and Institute Brain and Behaviour, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands

Peter van de Sande

Caroline van Heugten

Rehabilitation Centre Hoensbroek, Institute for Rehabilitation Research and Institute Brain and Behaviour, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands

Objective: To investigate the inter-rater reliability of a new apraxia test. Furthermore to examine the association of apraxia with other neuropsychological impairments and the prevalence of apraxia in a rehabilitation setting on the basis of the new test.

Design: Cross-sectional cohort study, involving 100 patients with a first stroke admitted to a rehabilitation centre in the Netherlands.

Measures: General patient characteristics and stroke-related aspects. Cognitive screening involving apraxia, visuospatial scanning, abstract thinking and reasoning, memory, attention, planning and aphasia.

Results: The indices for inter-rater agreement range from excellent to poor. Significant correlations are found between apraxia and visuospatial scanning, memory, attention, planning and aphasia. The patients with apraxia perform significantly worse than the patients without apraxia on memory, the time needed to complete the tests for scanning and attention, and aphasia. The prevalence of apraxia is 25.3% in the total group, 51.3% in the left hemisphere stroke patients and 6.0% in the right hemisphere stroke patients. Patients with and without apraxia do not differ significantly concerning age, gender and type of stroke.

Conclusion: The apraxia test has been shown to be a reliable instrument. Apraxia is often associated with aphasia, memory problems and mental slowness. This study shows that on the basis of the apraxia test, the prevalence of apraxia among patients in the rehabilitation centre is high, especially among patients with left hemisphere lesions.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. J. Newmeyer, S. Grether, C. Grasha, J. White, R. Akers, C. Aylward, K. Ishikawa, and T. deGrauw Fine Motor Function and Oral-Motor Imitation Skills in Preschool-Age Children With Speech-Sound Disorders Clinical Pediatrics, September 1, 2007; 46(7): 604 - 611. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. Snaphaan and F.-E. de Leeuw Poststroke Memory Function in Nondemented Patients: A Systematic Review on Frequency and Neuroimaging Correlates Stroke, January 1, 2007; 38(1): 198 - 203. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Smania, S. M. Aglioti, F. Girardi, M. Tinazzi, A. Fiaschi, A. Cosentino, and E. Corato Rehabilitation of limb apraxia improves daily life activities in patients with stroke Neurology, December 12, 2006; 67(11): 2050 - 2052. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Donkervoort, J. Dekker, and B. Deelman The course of apraxia and ADL functioning in left hemisphere stroke patients treated in rehabilitation centres and nursing homes Clinical Rehabilitation, December 1, 2006; 20(12): 1085 - 1093. [Abstract] [PDF]