The Kohs' Blocks test as an important instrument to investigate the visual-spatial impairments in myotonic dystrophy. Part I. Quantitative analysis

ABSTRACT

This study presents the performance of 39 cases of myotonic distrophy 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 per cent of the cases. These cases solved less than 50 per cent of the test. The levels of analysis and synthesis were severely imapired. A total of 18 cases got less than 10 points, not reaching 20 per cent of the test. The results showed the sensitivity of this test in detecting visuo-spatial impairment in myotonic dystrophy.