Apraxic Tendencies in Children with Meningomyelocele
in Adapted Physical Activity QuarterlyThe purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of an apraxic condition in children with meningomyelocele. Subjects were grouped according to the presence or absence of hydrocephalus as diagnosed by a computerized tomography scan. Subjects performed tasks of simple movements and motor sequences first to verbal command and then to imitation. For simple movements there was a significant Group by Cue interaction. The hydrocephalic group, significantly inferior on the verbal cue, were noticeably better on imitation. For those subjects without hydrocephalus, such was unlikely due to a ceiling effect to the verbal cue. For motor sequences, there was a significant Cue and Group effect. Both groups improved to the visual cue with the nonhydrocephalus group being consistently superior. The results are discussed in terms of patterns of response, and a cognitive or brainstem/cerebellar-based disorder.
Request reprints from Dr. D. Brunt, Faculty of Physical Education, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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