Abstract
In order to consider rehabilitation for disorders of tool use, we assigned 20 kinds of tool use tasks to 16 right-handed, left brain-damaged patients with disorders of tool use, and attempted to classify them by error type. Furthermore, we considered the relationship between error types and tool feature and associated lesion. Based on tool use process, errors were divided into 8 types : I : understanding of tool use, II : movement preparations, III : way of holding, IV : target choice, V : temporal sequence, VI : way of tool manipulation, VII : effect verification, and VIII : recognition of the end. The findings suggested that the number of errors depended on tool features such as high-frequency use, recognition of dangerous materials, and the appearance of the tool. Understanding of tool use error appeared with all tools, but errors relating to way of holding and way of manipulation were thought to be influenced by tool shape. We found relationships between error types and lesions : I : temporal lobe, III : basal nuclei, V : communication tract to frontal lobe, and VI : parietal lobe. We concluded that adopting the method suitable for the tool use disorder which could be supposed from the lesion would advance rehabilitation of tool use disorders one step further.