Movement Disorder

Pronounced: ah-PRAX-ee-ah

En Español (Spanish Version)

Apraxia happens when you are unable to do learned movements or gestures. You may have the desire and the physical ability to do the movements, but you cannot. This is usually due to brain damage, such as a stroke or a brain tumor. There are many types of apraxia. If you have this condition, you may also have aphasia. Aphasia is a language disorder.

Stroke

Stroke can cause brain damage, which can lead to apraxia.

Apraxia is caused by diseases or damage to the cerebral hemispheres in the brain, such as:

Stroke
Brain tumor
Trauma to brain
Infection
Degenerative brain disease, such as:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Frontotemporal dementia (a syndrome associated with shrinking of the frontal and temporal anterior lobes of the brain)
- Huntington’s disease
- Corticobasal ganglionic degeneration (CBD)

Apraxia in adults. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website. Available at: http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/ApraxiaAdults.htm. Accessed November 11, 2008.

Before M. Apraxia, constructional. EBSCO Publishing Nursing Reference Center website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/pointOfCare/nrc-about. Updated November 2007. Accessed November 10, 2008.

Childhood apraxia of speech. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website. Available at: http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/ChildhoodApraxia.htm. Accessed November 11, 2008.

Curioni C, André C, Veras R. Weight reduction for primary prevention of stroke in adults with overweight or obesity. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [serial online]. 2006;4. Available at: http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab006062.html. Accessed November 25. Accessed November 25, 2008.

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Kaplan R. Apraxia, ideomotor. EBSCO Publishing Nursing Reference Center website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/pointOfCare/nrc-about. Updated August 2007. Accessed November 10, 2008.

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NINDS apraxia information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/apraxia/apraxia.htm. Updated October 2008. Accessed November 18, 2008.

NINDS frontotemporal dementia information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/picks/picks.htm. Updated December 2008. Accessed December 11, 2008.

Sands J. Apraxia, gait. EBSCO Publishing Nursing Reference Center website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/pointOfCare/nrc-about. Updated August 2007. Accessed November 10, 2008.

Sands J. Apraxia, limb-kinetic. EBSCO Publishing Nursing Reference Center website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/pointOfCare/nrc-about. Updated September 2007. Accessed November 10, 2008.

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Stroke risk factors. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=9217. Published 2008. Accessed November 25, 2008.

Last reviewedFebruary 2012by Marjorie Bunch, MD

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Movement Disorder

Stroke

Risk Factors

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Treatment

Home Care

Prevention