The Journal of Korean Society of Community-Based Occupational Therapy Vol.4 No.2 pp.11-22
The Effect of Mental Practice with Task Activities on Upper Limbs Movement Speed and Accuracy of Ideomotor Apraxia Patients : Single Subject Experimental Research
Key Words : Ideomotor apraxia,Mental practice,Upper limbs movement
Abstract
Objective : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of mental practice with task activities through upper limbs movement speed and accuracy in ideomotor apraxia patient. Methods : As a single subject research design with multiple baseline across individuals, the patients were two ideomotor apraxia patients, employed in this study. The employed program included receiving mental practice and task activities, measuring change of the total performance times, time to put down the last cups and amount of water in cups for 4 weeks, including baseline and intervention periods. The subject were measured by Ideomotor apraxia test and MFT were analyzed. The analyses were performed using visually and two-standard deviation band method. Results : All subjects were a reduction in symptoms of apraxia, but noticeable change in upper limbs function was not there. Total time of performance from 376.67 to 355.24 seconds, 391.33 seconds to 434.60 seconds, reduced. Put down the cup of performance time from 15.67 to 13.30 seconds, 20.80 seconds to 10.73 seconds, reduced. The amount of water transferred from 52.38ml to 49.70ml, 50.89ml to 50.09ml, all results were closer to 50ml. Conclusion : As a result of this study, mental practice with task activities can be an effective method to ideomotor apraxia patients. This study would serve a fundamental data on ideomotor apraxia patients to the further studies.