What is it?

Apraxia is a neurological disorder in which the patient cannot perform familiar movements if asked to, even though it is understood by him. They cannot tie shoelaces or button shirts. It makes these patients very dependent and affects a great deal on their life. There are a few subtypes of apraxia; each has its particular features. For example, in apraxia of speech, there is a difficulty in planning the movement necessary for speech. In the buccofacial apraxia, which is the most common type, there is an inability to carry out facial movements on demand. Apraxia is caused by a defect in the brain pathways that contain memory of learned patterns of movement. It can be secondary to neurologic, vascular or metabolic disorders, most commonly in the frontal or parietal lobes in the left hemisphere of the brain. One subtype, the oculomotor apraxia, is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder. Prognosis varies from significant improval with treatment to losing their independence.