The Clock Drawing Task: Common Errors and Functional Neuroanatomy

Clock-drawing is a simple and effective test for assessing functional neuropsychiatric status. In this extensive review, the authors provide detailed information on processing and interpreting results of this "bedside" task, showing specific examples of difficulties noted and their diagnostic implications. As a complement to the MMSE, clock-drawing can yield predictive data in cases as varied as stroke, TBI, and hepatic encephalopathy. Authors present examples of the types of difficulties seen: size, graphical representation, conceptual misinterpretation, and spatial distortion can suggest various types of dysfunction, lesion, or disease process.