MOTOR SPEECH VERSUS DIGIT CONTROL IN PARKINSONS-DISEASE - A COGNITIVENEUROPSYCHOLOGY INVESTIGATION

Motor speech and digit tapping deficits are well-documented in idiopat hic Parkinson's Disease (PD); this study focuses on the relationship b etween the two. Despite the fact that motor aspects are present in bot h tasks, significant dissociations between them are reported. Parkinso n's Disease patients were slow at finger tapping and rapid syllable re petition. They also showed reduced fundamental frequency ranges when h umming. Performance on verbal fluency ranged from intact to impaired, and dissociated doubly with rapid articulation. Finger tap values corr elated significantly with disease severity, but not with single syllab le repetition, or with verbal fluency rates.