The 5 Types Of Apraxia: Differences, Symptoms And Common Causes
Among many of the functions that the brain has, those of planning and coordinating movements and actions are among the most used by people, since without them we could do little.
When these functions fail, disorders appear such as any of the different types of apraxias in which carrying out any action or gesture can become extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Apraxia consists of the inability to perform specific maneuvers or activities and is caused by a neurological disorder People who suffer from any of the types of apraxia may try to perform an action or gesture, since they have the physical capacity to do so, but their brain is unable to construct the sequence of movements to perform it. These obstacles in performing actions can manifest in many different ways and the same person can have one or more types of apraxia at the same time.
The most effective treatments for this disorder are physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. But the degree to which the therapy can alleviate the problem is variable among patients. In cases where apraxia is underlying another neurological disorder, medical treatment for said disorder can be effective in curing it.
The main types of apraxia
The types of apraxia are classified according to their relationship with the action or movement that the person wants to perform. These types are the following.
This type of apraxia disables the person from carrying out tasks in which they must follow a series of steps Such as cooking.
Due to difficulties in conceptual ideations, these people may also encounter obstacles when using everyday objects correctly; even going so far as to use parts of the body as an object, such as trying to write using the finger.
In any case, all of these actions are not performed within a temporal sequence, which means that these patients are unable to access the memory that allows them to act correctly.
Causes
This particular form of apraxia is generally caused by a disorder in the temporal sequence of motor acts If the act of performing an action is considered a chain of links of maneuvers, the person can perform each individual action correctly, but is unable to carry out the succession of actions coherently.
A couple of examples could be pressing the car accelerator without having put the keys in or putting food in a frying pan without having turned on the heat.
2. Constructional Apraxia
Also called constructive apraxia. During the course of this disorder, the patient has difficulties when drawing figures or constructing shapes
But this neurological disturbance can take shape in a large number of ways; For example, a person who asks you to copy or make a drawing can:
Causes
Conditions related to construction performance and spatial management can occur due to injuries to half of the brain; although this deficit is much more serious when there is brain damage in the right hemisphere.
So depending on the laterality, extent, and location of the injury, skill deprivation can take different forms.
3. Ideomotor Apraxia
Ideomotor apraxia is characterized by the lack of ability to carry out actions in response to purely verbal commands
Likewise, people who suffer from it tend to have difficulties performing simple movements, compared to much more complex ones. For example, saying hello or opening a door. However, these same people tend to continually explain all their actions, thus suffering from verbal overflow.
Causes
The causes are generally associated with lesions in the inferior parietal lobe of the left hemisphere.
These patients tend to be somewhat clumsy when performing any act, whether it is a genuine movement of the person or an imitation; presenting said apraxic anomalies in both the left and right hands. In addition, they also tend to use everyday objects in the wrong way; using, for example, a fork to write.
4. Oculomotor Apraxia
The main characteristic of this apraxia occurs in the form of difficulty moving the eyes in the desired way, specifically horizontally; Vertical eye movements are not affected by it. The person who suffers from it is forced to make compensatory movements, such as turning the head continuously, in order to correctly perceive their surroundings.
This type of apraxia is likely to improve over the years when it occurs in young children. It is believed that due to the growth of the underdeveloped part of the brain during the first years of life.
Causes
It is not known for sure why people are born with this condition. But it has come to be considered that genetics plays a primary role in this type of apraxia.
