The role of attention in apraxic errors

complex motor skills like speech require both automatic and controlled processing
(Stelmach and Hughs, 1983; Keele, 1973). Speech production is inherently complex
and learning to produce accurate and appropriate speech requires simultaneous
allocation of attention to multiple processes. Resources necessary for accurate speech
production may vary with articulatory difficulty and because of the continuously
changing speech environment. Normal speech production is efficient and automatic
but comes under controlled processing after brain damage. In order to compensate
for brain damage, resources may be consciously deployed to the once automatic
task of speech production. Little is understood about the role of attention in speech
production and the effects of brain damage on resource allocation. We used a dual
task paradigm to better understand the role of resource allocation on speech production in apraxia of speech. One aim of this study was to determine if some apraxic errors result from deficits of resource allocation rather than deficits of motor programming. A second aim was to determine which errors in apraxic patients might
relate to deficient resource allocation.