Adult norms for the Kaufman hand movements test and a single-subject design for acute brain injury rehabilitation

Abstract

Systematic administration of Luria's (1980) fist-edge-palm test in a series of increasingly complex patterns (Kaufman & Kaufman, 1983) is presented as the basis for an intervention strategy with acute brain injury rehabilitation patients. A normative sample of 80 adults was drawn from the community, and results are reported by age and gender. A therapeutic technique for improving focused attention is then described in terms of a multiple baseline, single-subject experimental paradigm. Verbal mediation of the hand movements is systematically introduced as a coping skill and the patient's ability to internalize the skill is evaluated as treatment conditions are varied. The immediate therapeutic goal is transfer of control of the strategy from therapist to patient. Statistical analysis suggests a significant treatment effect apart from improvement attributable to natural recovery. Incidental therapeutic gains are noted.