What is Apraxia? Key Insights into the Condition

Apraxia is a neurological condition that makes it difficult or impossible to make certain movements, even though your muscles are normal and you have the understanding and desire to execute these actions. This disconnect can be incredibly frustrating for individuals living with apraxia, as it affects their ability to participate in everyday activities.

The condition is caused by damage to specific areas of the brain that are responsible for planning and coordinating movements. This damage disrupts the brain’s ability to form and convey the necessary instructions to the muscles, leading to challenges in performing tasks that might seem simple to others.

The degree of impairment can vary widely, and the condition can be affected by other coexisting issues, making effective communication and support essential. Treatment often involves therapies to improve motor function and develop compensatory strategies to help individuals manage their daily lives more effectively.

Types of Apraxia

There are different types of apraxia that interfere with your ability to perform everyday tasks and movements. With certain brain injuries, it is possible to have more than one type at the same time.

The seven main types of apraxia include:¹

• Ideomotor apraxia: The inability to act out a movement, such as turning a doorknob, even though you can describe how it is done
• Ideational apraxia: The inability to conceptualize and perform tasks that involve multiple sequential movements (such as putting on your socks before your shoes)
• Limb-kinetic apraxia: The inability to make precise, coordinated finger and hand movements (such as buttoning a shirt)
• Buccofacial/orofacial apraxia: The inability to perform facial movements on demand (such as licking lips, whistling, or winking)
• Verbal apraxia (apraxia of speech): Difficulty coordinating mouth movements to produce speech
• Constructional apraxia: The inability to copy or draw objects or symbols
• Oculomotor apraxia: The inability to move your eyes on demand
• Global apraxia: The comprehensive loss of the ability to execute purposeful movements
• Gait apraxia: The difficulty in starting or maintaining a walking pattern
• Transcortical motor apraxia: The inability to initiate speech or movements, despite being able to repeat tasks on command
• Adaptive apraxia: The difficulty in adapting learned motor tasks for new contexts or environments
• Tactile apraxia: The inability to identify objects through touch alone, affecting the execution of grasping movements

Symptoms of Apraxia

Depending on what type you have, symptoms may include issues with:

• Facial movements such as coughing, winking, raising eyebrows, or frowning to convey various emotions and reactions.
• Precise movements using your finger, arm, or leg
• Using specific tools for specific tasks
• Moving your eyes
• Carrying out complicated tasks such as brushing your teeth or tying your shoe
• Mimicking movements with your head, arms, or legs
• Taking small steps consistently can lead to significant progress over time, fostering a sense of achievement and satisfaction in the journey.
• Copying simple drawings

Apraxia of speech can affect the way you speak in several different ways. Early signs of apraxia of speech in children may include:

• Very little babbling (in infants)
• Little variety in the sounds they make
• Omitting sounds within words, especially at the beginning of a word
• Being able to say a sound or word properly at certain times but not always
• Losing the ability to say a word they already learned
• Often using nonverbal forms of communication, such as nodding or pointing

What Causes Apraxia?

Apraxia happens when certain parts of your brain aren’t working the way they should, particularly the parietal lobe, which plays a crucial role in processing sensory information and coordinating voluntary movements. This condition can be caused by various diseases that impact neural function, but it usually results from brain damage to areas of the brain that contain vital memories of how to perform learned tasks. Additionally, apraxia can also arise from damage to other brain areas, including the frontal lobe, which is responsible for planning and executing movement. Conditions that can lead to apraxia include head trauma, stroke, dementia, and a brain tumor, each contributing to the disruption of the complex neural networks required for executing skilled activities. Understanding these underlying factors is essential in developing effective treatment plans that can help individuals regain their ability to perform everyday tasks.

Apraxia Treatments

There’s no particular treatment for apraxia, and it can’t be cured. But it can be managed with physical, speech, and/or occupational therapy. These therapies can improve your symptoms and make apraxia easier to live with.

If another condition is causing your apraxia, you’ll get treatment for that condition. In some cases of acquired apraxia, the condition goes away on its own.