Title page for ETD etd-07092006-235425

Type of Document

Thesis

Author

Holler, Jennifer Lauren

Author's Email Address

jennifer.holler@gmail.com

URN

etd-07092006-235425

Title

Reaction Time and Parkinson Disease: Implications for Cognitive and Motor Processing

Degree

Master of Science

Department

Communication Disorders, Department of

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name	Title
Julie Stierwalt	Committee Chair
Gary Heald	Committee Member
Leonard LaPointe	Committee Member

Keywords

Motor Processing
Bradyphrenia
Bradykinesia
Reaction Time
Parkinson Disease
Cognitive Processing

Date of Defense

2006-06-30

Availability

unrestricted

Abstract

The investigators of this study set out to determine if extended Reaction Time (RT) in people with Parkinson disease is due to impairments in the ability to initiate and execute motor movements, a deficit in cognitive processing function, or a combination of the two. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine the nature of the relation between RT and cognition on two tests, one that measured RT and another that did not. We proposed that if RT is an index of cognitive processing, then it should correlate negatively with measures of cognition (i.e. as RT increases, cognitive measures decrease). If increased RT in Parkinson disease is purely a function of motor impairment, then the pattern of RT for individuals with Parkinson disease should mirror that of a control group but with generally longer RTs. Participants were given a general measure of cognition (paper/pencil test) and a computerized battery of cognitive tasks that incorporated RT and accuracy across varying levels of complexity. Results indicated overall lower scores on measures of general cognition for the group with Parkinson disease in comparison with scores of the control group. The Subject group also demonstrated lengthier reaction times on the computerized measures (CalCAP) than that of the Control group. However, the Subject group’s results on the DRS-2 did not negatively correlate with measures of RT making it difficult to determine if deficits in cognition played a role in the extended RT. Group comparisons revealed significant differences on a number of the measures both with regard to RT and accuracy. These results could indicate cognitive component in increased RT of the Subject group. However, the results obtained were far from conclusive and overall we were unable to determine the underlying cause of extended RT in our subject group.

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