Which statement best defines dysmetria?

• A. Lack of coordinated movement.
• B. Loss of memory.
• C. Severe chest pain.
• D. Inability to speak.

Answer: (A)

Dysmetria is a problem with judging the distance or range of a voluntary movement, typically resulting in overshooting or undershooting a target. This reflects cerebellar dysfunction and is a hallmark of ataxia, where coordination is impaired. The best description among the options is lack of coordinated movement, because dysmetria specifically describes an accuracy error in movement amplitude, not memory, chest pain, or speech issues. For example, when attempting to touch the nose or reach a target, the hand may stop short or go past the mark due to miscalculation of movement distance. The other options describe unrelated problems: memory loss involves cognition, chest pain is a cardiac symptom, and inability to speak points to speech or language problems rather than impaired movement accuracy.