What is Apraxia:
Apraxia is an effect of neurological disease. It makes people unable to carry out everyday movements and gestures.For example, a person with apraxia may be unable to tie their shoelaces or button up a shirt. People with apraxia of speech find it challenging to talk and express themselves through speech.In this article, learn more about the causes and symptoms of apraxia, as well as the treatment options.
Causes:
Apraxia happens when certain regions of the cerebral hemispheres in the brain do not work properly.This dysfunction may occur if a lesion in the brain forms across the neural pathways that store memories of learned movements. A person with apraxia may be unable to access this information.Apraxia can happen due to a head injury or disease that affects the brain, such as:
• a stroke
• head trauma
• dementia
• tumors
• corticobasal ganglionic degeneration
Apraxia is more common in older adults due to the higher incidence of neurological diseases, such as stroke and dementia, among this population. If people have apraxia due to swelling from a stroke, it might improve within a few weeks.Apraxia can also 7be a genetic disorder. If an infant has apraxia at birth, it may be due to problems involving the central nervous system.
Symptoms
The main symptom of apraxia is an inability to carry out simple movements, even though a person with apraxia has full use of their body and understands commands to move.
People with apraxia may find it difficult to control or coordinate movements voluntarily. These individuals may also have brain damage that causes aphasia, a language impairment that reduces the ability to understand or use words correctly.
Types
Different types of apraxia affect the body in slightly different ways:
Limb-kinetic apraxia
People with limb-kinetic apraxia are unable to use a finger, arm, or leg to make precise and coordinated movements. Although people with limb-kinetic apraxia may understand how to use a tool, such as a screwdriver, and may have used it in the past, they are now unable to carry out the same movement.
Ideomotor apraxia
People with ideomotor apraxia are unable to follow a verbal command to copy the movements of others or follow suggestions for movements.
Conceptual apraxia
This form of apraxia is similar to ideomotor apraxia. People with conceptual apraxia are also unable to perform tasks that involve more than one step.
Ideational apraxia
People with ideational apraxia are unable to plan a particular movement. They may find it hard to follow a sequence of movements, such as getting dressed or bathing.
Buccofacial apraxia
People with buccofacial apraxia, or facial-oral apraxia, are unable to make movements with the face and lips on command.
Constructional apraxia
People with constructional apraxia are unable to copy, draw, or construct basic diagrams or figures.
Oculomotor apraxia
Oculomotor apraxia affects the eyes. People with this type of apraxia have difficulty making eye movements on command.
Verbal apraxia
People with verbal or oral apraxia find it challenging to make the movements necessary for speech. They may have problems producing sounds and understanding rhythms of speech
Treatment
If people have apraxia due to an underlying health condition, they will receive treatment for the condition that is causing apraxia.
Physical and occupational therapy may help improve symptoms. These therapies might include:
• developing sounds through repetition and practicing accompanying movements
• working on speech rhythms using a metronome or finger clicking
• learning to use pen and paper or a computer to express themselves
Regular one-to-one sessions with a speech therapist can help people improve the symptoms of apraxia of speech. Techniques may include:
• learning how to move the mouth muscles to make certain sounds
• learning sign language, for those who have severe difficulty with speech
• using all of the senses to help with speech, for example, listening to recorded sounds and using a mirror to see how the mouth is making sound.
