title: The Kohs' blocks test as an important instrument to investigate the visuo-spatial impairments in myotonic dystrophy. Part I. Quantitative and qualitative analysis.
abstract: This study presents the performance of 39 cases of myotonic dystrophy on Kohs' blocks test (21 females and 18 males, age range from 9 to 70 years). On this test, the patients have to reproduce figures from models previously showed to them. Some of the patients had some kind of professional activity, while others had never exerted a professional occupation. The patients denoted considerable difficulty to perform the test. Some cases constructed entirely different figures in comparison to the presented drawings, translating visuo-spatial and constructional disabilities. The performance was insufficient in 71.4% of the cases. These cases solved less than 50% of the test. The levels of analysis and synthesis were severely impaired. A total of 18 cases got less than 10 points, not reaching 20% of the test. The results showed the sensitivity of this test in detecting visuo-spatial impairment in myotonic dystrophy.
authors.affiliation: Center for Myopathies Investigation and Treatment (CIM), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brasil.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wigg
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Duro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency; D008875:Middle Aged; D009223:Myotonic Dystrophy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology