apraxia
Pronunciation: ay-PRAKS-ee-uh
An acquired neurological disorder characterised by the inability to execute learned, purposeful motor tasks despite intact motor strength, sensation, and comprehension, commonly resulting from stroke, dementia, or traumatic brain injury in older adults.
Full Definition
Apraxia encompasses several subtypes clinically relevant to geriatric rehabilitation, including ideomotor apraxia (inability to perform gestures on command), ideational apraxia (failure to sequence multi-step tasks), and constructional apraxia (impaired spatial assembly of elements). These subtypes carry different implications for rehabilitation planning and should not be collapsed into a single undifferentiated term. In editorial work, 'apraxia' is preferred over 'dyspraxia' in adult-acquired neurological contexts. Authors may incorrectly attribute apraxic errors to confusion or cognitive decline, making accurate terminological precision important. The term is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable and is always a noun; the adjectival form is 'apraxic'.
Usage
Usage note: Use 'apraxic' as the adjectival form (not 'apraxiac' or 'apraxical'). Distinguish clearly among subtypes when reported in assessments. Do not confuse with aphasia, which is a language disorder, not a motor programming disorder.
In Context
- "Ideomotor apraxia was identified during the standardized upper limb assessment, complicating the patient's participation in self-care retraining." — Inpatient rehabilitation assessment
- "The manuscript used 'apraxia' and 'dyspraxia' interchangeably; the editor standardized all instances to 'apraxia' in line with the journal's style guide." — Peer-reviewed journal manuscript editing note