Apraxia usually originates from brain damage.
Apraxia is a neurological disease that is characterized by the difficulty or impossibility of developing voluntary actions , despite the fact that there are no organic reasons that justify the problem. This means that the person has the strength, physical skills and desire to carry out the movements, but cannot do them.
This disorder, which is also known as dyspraxia , involves a separation between the person's thinking (who is aware of what they want to do) and the execution of said idea in movement (they cannot control the action).
Types of apraxia
There are different types of apraxia, which vary according to their link with the action or movement to be performed. We can mention constitutional apraxia (a problem that has to do with spatial conception); buccolingual , orofacial or orolinguofacial apraxia (disorders moving the lips or tongue); ideational apraxia (the subject cannot represent in his mind and express in words the various steps related to movement); and ideomotor apraxia (ability to plan movement, but not to express what corresponds), among others.
The disease is usually detected in childhood, since the apraxic child reveals his or her dysfunction in physical education activities. On the other hand, a child who suffers from apraxia may have problems doing his or her homework, handling study materials, or writing correctly.
The person who suffers from this disease understands what is asked of him, is willing to do it and has learned the task in advance, however he cannot carry it out.
A CT scan can help diagnose apraxia.
The causes
The causes that cause apraxia are mainly damage to the brain . In some cases people are born with this problem while in others, when the disease develops in people who previously could perform the skills that they cannot, they are said to have acquired apraxia . This type of apraxia develops as a consequence of a brain tumor, stroke , nervous system condition, dementia or neurodegenerative disease, among other causes.
Apraxia of speech often occurs along with aphasia , another language disorder. As a result of these problems, conditions in the nervous system or brain can be identified.
Symptoms of apraxia
To identify if a person suffers from apraxia, it is enough to analyze their symptoms : inability to integrate muscle movements fluidly, perform an action different from what is desired because the body does not respond correctly to the person's wishes, distortion, repetition or omission in speech sounds; difficulty expressing meaningful sentences, anomia , inability to use common, everyday phrases without difficulty.
People who suffer from apraxia are generally aware of their difficulty and the frustration that this fact causes leads them to fall into other mental illnesses, such as depression , for this reason psychological treatment for these individuals is essential, so that they do not let themselves falling into the vicious circle to which all poorly channeled frustrations lead.
The medical studies performed to detect apraxia are computed tomography, electroencephalogram (EEG) or spinal tap, in order to detect if there are tumors or lesions in the brain, rule out epilepsy as the cause of the problem and any infection that may be affecting the brain. brain.
Some affected by this disease are not able to live independently, they need constant support and help to carry out their tasks. It is important that family members are aware of which activities they can carry out alone and which ones they will need help with; In addition, it is important to avoid all risky activities that may result in injuries of some kind and, above all, try to provide as much safety as possible to the patient.
The disease in children
Finally, it should be explained that childhood apraxia of speech is a problem that develops in the motor system but the specific causes for which it begins are unknown. These children have great difficulty planning things and carrying them out, especially producing specific movements with their tongue that allow them to express themselves clearly . Other names for this disease are verbal apraxia and verbal dyspraxia .
Treatment of apraxia may include physical therapy , intravenous immunoglobulin , and occupational therapy . If apraxia is a symptom of a neurological problem or other disorder, the preexisting condition should be treated first.