A Model-Based Approach to Apraxia in Multiple Sclerosis

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis is a disease demyelinating disease. Symptomology is diverse, and motor symptoms are strongly present. That is the reason why research of limb apraxia in people with MS started recently. The presence of limb apraxia in some individuals was found, however, the characteristics of apraxia have not been described till date. Therefore, the aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of apraxia in people with MS using Roy’s conceptual-production model of apraxia. Methods: To test this, a sample of 60 people was formed, 30 with MS (age 51.34; SD=7.70 years) and 30 without (average age 50.30; SD=10.47 years), who belonged to the control group. The instruments used were the questionnaire for collecting demographic data and basic disease data from participants as well as the Waterloo-Sunnybrook apraxia battery for assessing the apraxia presence. Results: Limb apraxia was not present for the majority of people. On the basis of the obtained scores, it was found that the following patterns of the apraxia were most commonly present as P+DI-CI-ID-; P-DI-CI-ID-; P+DI+CI-ID+. Conclusion: Results indicate that in most people with MS, there is apraxia which, at its base, has damage at the level of the production system, with the problems of dual processing of information and slow processing, as well as problems in attention control. In a smaller number of people with MS, apraxia is characterized by impairment at the level of the sensory/perceptive system, as well as the impairment to both the conceptual and the production system.