Abstract
Most conventional measures of information processing speed require motor responses to facilitate performance. However, although not often addressed clinically, motor impairment, whether due to age or acquired brain injury, would be expected to confound the outcome measure of such tasks. The current study recruited 29 patients (20 stroke and 9 transient ischemic attack) with documented reduction in dexterity of the dominant hand, and 29 controls, to investigate the extent to which 3 commonly used processing speed measures with varying motor demands (a Visuo-Motor Reaction Time task, and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV Symbol Search and Coding subtests) may be measuring motor-related speed more so than cognitive speed. Analyses include correlations between indices of cognitive and motor speed obtained from two other tasks (Inspection Time and Pegboard task, respectively) with the three speed measures, followed by hierarchical regressions to determine the relative contribution of cognitive and motor speed indices toward task performance. Results revealed that speed outcomes on tasks with relatively high motor demands, such as Coding, were largely reflecting motor speed in individuals with reduced dominant hand dexterity. Thus, findings indicate the importance of employing measures with minimal motor requirements, especially when the assessment of speed is aimed at understanding cognitive rather than physical function.
Highlights
Information processing speed is defined as the efficiency or rate of processing information, and is known to be intrinsically related to an individual’s cognitive ability [1]
Patients presented with slower right-hand motor speed, which has been confirmed by planned contrast analysis demonstrating significantly lower right-hand dexterity in patients compared with controls
On the general speed measures, patients’ reaction times on the Visuo-Motor Reaction Time (VMRT) task were longer, and they obtained lower scores on the Symbol Search (SS) and Cod compared with controls, all of which indicate slower general speed of processing
Summary
Information processing speed is defined as the efficiency or rate of processing information, and is known to be intrinsically related to an individual’s cognitive ability [1]. Chiaravalloti et al [10], for example, have suggested that speed domains should include simple and complex processing speed, while Roberts and Stankov [12] emphasized the importance of perceptual, inductive reasoning, decision and movement, and visual scanning speed. We propose that at the most basic level, rate of information processing should include at least two major domains, the first being a speed domain for any initial non-motor or cognitive activity (e.g., perceptual speed for attentional activation, auditory learning or auditory processing speed), and the second for the subsequent motor or physical activity that follows (e.g., psychomotor speed, reaction time, and eye movement or saccadic latency)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
