Which activity would be MOST impacted by the use of dantrolene sodium in a patient rehabilitation setting?

• A. Ambulation
• B. Oral motor skills
• C. Fine motor skills
• D. Cognition

Answer: (D)

Dantrolene sodium directly reduces skeletal muscle contraction by inhibiting calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, which lowers spasticity. In a rehabilitation setting, this change primarily alters motor performance, often improving activities that rely on coordinated movement such as walking or other gross motor tasks. However, dantrolene can cause central nervous system side effects in some patients, including drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion. Those CNS effects can interfere with attention, processing, and safety during therapy sessions, making cognitive function the most likely area to be impacted in the short term. While motor tasks like ambulation or fine motor skills may improve as tone decreases, cognition is more susceptible to these transient CNS side effects, which is why it’s considered the most affected activity in this context.