Effect of test instructions: The example of the pantomime production task

The production of pantomime is a sensible task to detect praxis deficits. It is usually assessed by presenting objects visually or by verbal command. Verbal instructions are given either by providing the name of the object (e.g., “Show me how to use a pen”) or by requiring the object function (e.g., “Show me how to write”). These modes of testing are used interchangeably. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the different instructions generate different performances. Fifty-one healthy participants (17–89 years old) were assessed on three pantomime production tasks differing for the instruction given: two with verbal instructions (Pantomime by Name and Pantomime by Function) and one with the object visually presented (Pantomime by Object). Results showed that Pantomime by Function produced the poorest performance and the highest frequency of Body Parts as Tool (BPT) errors, suggesting that the way the instructions are given may determine the performance in a task. Nuances in test instructions could result in misleading outcome.