Which type of practice is most appropriate for a patient with a lower motor neuron lesion who has a short attention span and fatigues quickly?

• A. Massed
• B. Distributed
• C. Random
• D. Blocked

Answer: (B)

Distributed practice matches the needs of someone with a lower motor neuron lesion who fatigues quickly and has a short attention span. By breaking practice into shorter bouts with rest in between, you reduce fatigue, keep attention sharper, and allow for better consolidation of motor patterns. This approach prevents the performance from deteriorating during a session and supports longer-term learning. In contrast, pushing through with long, continuous practice (massed) tends to exhaust the patient and degrade quality; random practice adds cognitive load that can overwhelm someone with limited attention; and blocked practice, while helpful for initial repetition, may not optimize retention and transfer when fatigue and attention are limiting factors.