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The Hand Movement Test as a tool in neuropsychological assessment: Interpretation within a working memory theoretical framework

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2003

KATHERINE A.R. FRENCHAM
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
ALLISON M. FOX
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
MURRAY T. MAYBERY
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia

Abstract

While the Kaufman Hand Movements Test (KHMT) is argued to be sensitive to cognitive impairment secondary to various forms of brain dysfunction in adults, it is unknown which cognitive processes it addresses. Dual-task research has employed tasks similar to the KHMT to determine whether such tasks assess (1) verbal or visuospatial memory, or (2) a proposed additional short-term memory component, movement memory. However findings consistent with both hypotheses have been reported. Experiment 1 involved 24 participants completing a hand movement task and a letter span task under articulatory suppression, finger movement and no interference conditions. Performance on both the hand movement task and letter span task was significantly reduced by articulatory suppression. In Experiment 2, 16 participants were administered the hand movement task and a Corsi span task under articulatory suppression, finger movement, spatial tapping, and no interference. Again, hand movement span was most reduced by articulatory suppression, in contrast to Corsi span which was most reduced by spatial tapping. Hand movement task performance was therefore assumed to rely upon verbal recoding strategies and thus the proposition of an additional component of movement memory was not supported. (JINS, 2003, 9, 633–641.)

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2003 The International Neuropsychological Society

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