Apraxia is a disorder that can result from a stroke, brain injury, brain tumor, or neurodegenerative disease. This condition usually results from damage to the left hemisphere of the brain.

What is Apraxia?



What does it mean to have apraxia?
Throughout the course of a day, the human body is constantly coordinating
movement. Actions that seem effortless, like waving hello, catching a ball, or
using a toothbrush, are actually the result of the brain sending a precise
series of messages to the limbs to move the muscles. Therapists often use the
term motor planning to describe the ability to perform movements in the right
order to form actions. When brain areas controlling movement are damaged, a
breakdown in motor planning occurs. This breakdown can also be referred to as 
apraxia.

Apraxia is a disorder resulting from a stroke, brain injury, brain tumor, or
neurodegenerative disease. This condition usually appears after damage to the
left hemisphere of the brain. It can affect one or more areas of the body,
including the arms, legs, or even the face. The scientific community has not yet
reached an agreement on the many proposed forms of apraxia or how to classify
them. For purposes of this article, we will explore how apraxia can affect
actions related to arm movements and how this condition can be treated by
therapists and caregivers alike.

How can you tell if someone has apraxia?
Apraxic movement errors are not caused by one-sided arm weakness
[https://www.neofect.com/us/blog/hemiplegia-vs-hemiparesis] related to a
neurological event. In fact, a person who has apraxia might not have noticeable
arm weakness at all. Instead, they might look like their arm movements are
slowed down or clumsy. This is because their brain has lost the ability to
smoothly motor plan actions from start to finish. They may now need to spend
more time thinking through the individual steps of a task.

Apraxia can affect a person’s ability to copy a gesture, even after seeing a
demonstration. Someone with apraxia may not be able to mimic the thumbs up sign
or wave on command. Apraxia can also reduce understanding of the purpose of
objects, resulting in incorrect tool use. A person with apraxia might use a
hammer by holding it upside down or raking it across a table. They might bring a
hairbrush to their mouth or brush their hair in upward strokes instead of
downward.


Copying a simple gesture might be difficult for someone with apraxia, as they
may no longer understand its meaning.

The automatic ability to perform a familiar movement or use a common object may
be preserved despite apraxia. A person with apraxia might be able to pick up a
telephone as it rings or spontaneously wave goodbye to a family member even when
they cannot demonstrate either action upon command. Automatic performance of arm
movements may not always be present or shown consistently. Regardless, when
working with people with apraxia, it is best to practice re-learning simple
tasks in their natural context for maximum skill carryover.

How can I help my loved one with apraxia?
A good approach to helping someone with apraxia is establishing a consistent
routine of daily tasks. A well-rounded routine can include eating meals, getting
dressed, performing hygiene, and completing familiar chores or leisure
activities. Minimize distractions in the environment so the affected person can
stay focused. Provide hand-over-hand guidance and verbal instructions if the
person with apraxia seems stuck on a movement or begins to perform it
incorrectly. Once you have started guiding the correct movement pattern, attempt
to fade your assistance to see if they can finish the task.


Remove clutter and unnecessary items in common workspaces to maximize success.

Through repetition of familiar actions and task grading (adjusting a daily
routine to include easier or more complicated tasks based on performance)
movement patterns can be restored so that actions are performed more
automatically. But, for some, apraxia will be a long-lasting condition. It's
important to remain patient and understanding when interacting with someone with
apraxia, as they might need more time or extra physical help to get started
doing the things they want to do.

As apraxia often occurs alongside aphasia
[https://www.neofect.com/us/blog/stroke-lingo-part-1], a communication disorder,
it's important to provide multiple ways to understand the task at hand. It's
also advised to consider related coordination disorders when diagnosing apraxia,
including ataxia [https://www.neofect.com/us/blog/what-is-ataxia]. If you are
unsure whether certain symptoms are related to apraxia, discuss your concerns
with a medical or therapy team.

The NEOFECT [https://www.neofect.com/en/] line of Smart Rehabilitation Solutions
can assist with coordination difficulties stemming from stroke or other
neurological diagnoses. Our neurorehabilitation products include support from
occupational therapists to maximize your functional gains. Please call (866)
534-4989 or email contactus@neofect.com for further inquiry.

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For More Information on Apraxia:
WebMD - Apraxia: Symptoms, Causes, Tests, Treatments
[https://www.webmd.com/brain/apraxia-symptoms-causes-tests-treatments#1]
Wikipedia - Apraxia [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apraxia]
National Organization of Rare Disorders - Apraxia
[https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/apraxia/]

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