Apraxia

Apraxia is a neurological disorder characterized by loss of the ability to execute or carry out learned (familiar) movements, despite having the desire and the physical ability to perform the movements. There are several types of apraxia including limb-kinetic (inability to make fine, precise movements with a limb), ideomotor (inability to carry out a motor command), ideational (inability to create a plan for or idea of a specific movement), buccofacial or facial-oral (inability to carry out facial movements on command, i.e., lick lips, whistle, cough, or wink) - which is perhaps the most common form, verbal (difficulty coordinating mouth and speech movements), constructional (inability to draw or construct simple configurations), and oculomotor (difficulty moving the eyes). Apraxia may be accompanied by a language disorder called aphasia.

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Generally, treatment for individuals with apraxia includes physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy. If apraxia is a symptom of another disorder, the underlying disorder should be treated. The prognosis for individuals with apraxia varies, With therapy, some patients improve significantly, while others may show very little improvement.

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The root word of Apraxia is praxis which is Greek for an act, work, or deed.

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Neurological disorder: A neurological disorder is a disorder of the body's nervous system. Structural, biochemical or electrical abnormalities in the brain or spinal cord, or in the nerves leading to or from them, can result in symptoms such as paralysis, muscle weakness, poor coordination, loss of sensation, seizures, co...

Language disorder: Language disorders or language impairments are disorders that involve the processing of linguistic information. Problems that may be experienced can involve grammar (syntax and/or morphology), semantics (meaning), or other aspects of language. These problems may be receptive (involving impaired l...

Aphasia: Aphasia (from Greek α, privative, and φασις, speech) is a term which means literally inability to speak, and is used to denote various defects in the comprehension and expression of both spoken and written language which result from lesions of the brain. Aphasic d...