The use of memorised verbal scripts in the rehabilitation of action disorganisation syndrome.
We report data on the rehabilitation of action disorganisation syndrome (ADS). Although prior attempts to rehabilitate everyday actions in our patient, FK, had proved unsuccessful, we report positive results from using a verbalisation strategy. FK was taught a poem based on the steps involved in making a cup of tea. Following training, the everyday action was performed more successfully than prior to training, with the order of the actions in particular being improved when the poem was applied. In addition, there was evidence of error monitoring being carried out contingent on the verbalisation strategy. Across training sessions FK also became more likely to apply the poem and to perform the actions without prompting. However, there was relatively weak training effects across sessions, and the beneficial effects did not transfer to new tasks or to the same task with a different key object. The utility of the approach for severe cases of ADS is discussed.
Bickerton
Wai Ling
WL
Behavioural Brain Sciences Centre, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Humphreys
Glyn W
GW
Riddoch
Jane M
JM
D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*