{"id":8678,"date":"2019-07-25T05:14:42","date_gmt":"2019-07-25T05:14:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=8678"},"modified":"2021-04-21T15:51:06","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T15:51:06","slug":"14-possible-causes-of-apraxia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-possible-causes-of-apraxia\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Possible Causes of Apraxia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Apraxia is a problem that attacks the motor and nervous systems and can hinder speech. It is different from other issues involving speech, because it does not affect cognitive abilities or the ability to understand language, but is specifically targeted on how speech is produced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apraxia can affect young children and hinder their ability to speak clearly or it can be developed later in life as the result of brain damage or a stroke. There is a multitude of problems that can lead to apraxia, and some are temporary others lead to long-lasting results and permanent speech impairment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of treatments that may be undertaken for someone who has apraxia, including physical therapy and in some cases medication. In some cases, apraxia can be reversed depending on the cause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developmental issues in children can make it difficult for a child to form words and speak clearly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Stroke <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A stroke <\/a>is one of the most common causes of apraxia, and depending on the severity of the stroke, apraxia may or may not be reversed. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked and oxygen cannot reach the brain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the brain is starved of oxygen for too long, death will occur, but many people do survive and are left with long or short-term motor damage and difficulties with speech and cognitive functioning. Some stroke survivors may have permanent disabilities including speech disabilities like apraxia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike speech problems caused by a stroke that may make it difficult to speak at all, a person with apraxia is able to make sounds, but they may exaggerate certain speech qualities and may have a limited vocabulary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This does not mean they no longer understand words they knew–they simply cannot say them. 
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2. Neurological Disorder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Apraxia <\/a>is the result of motor and neurological damage in the brain. In children, these neurological disorders may be problems they were born with and may be the result of genetics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neurological disorders that are degenerative and tend to affect older people can also cause apraxia. Parkinson\u2019s disease, dementia and other neurological problems that are characterized by a decline in motor and neurological functioning can make it difficult for sufferers to speak. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who apraxia as the result of Parkinson\u2019s, for instance, may at first simply have a difficulty forming the words correctly, but with the progression of the disease, the neurological problem may become more profound, and the patient may eventually not be able to recognize words and they may experience cognitive issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physical therapy can help forestall some of the damage, but with a degenerative condition, there is unlikely to be a complete recovery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Conversion Disorder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Conversion disorder is an unusual psychological disorder that causes people to report symptoms such as blindness and paralysis <\/a>but without any medical evidence showing an underlying problem. The same can occur with speech. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone with a conversion disorder may not speak at all and report that they are not able to, but there is nothing showing a problem in the brain or in the organs of speech. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many explanations for the motives of people suffering from this problem. It can be hard to know why someone will have psychological problems, but some may see it as an avoidance behavior in which the mind convinces itself it has a problem to avoid having to confront others or face an uncomfortable issue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some may want to be taken care of, and of course, these are mainly subconscious desires, rather than mere playacting. 
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4. Infection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Infections <\/a>can be minor or severe. When a cut on our hands gets infected, usually some rubbing alcohol will do the trick and the problem will disappear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, some infections can be fatal or at least can be severely debilitating. It all depends on where the infection spreads. If an infection stays on the surface of the skin and does not spread to vital organs, it can be dealt with easily unless gangrene sets in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if an infection is internal and spreads to the brain, vital organs can be disrupted. A person could experience an infection on the section of the brain that affects the processing of speech. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person may still be able to speak, but they will not be able to emphasize the correct syllables or may speak too loudly or too softly. When the infection clears up, a person may or may not return to normal speech, but in some cases, there can be permanent damage. 
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5. Autism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Autism <\/a>is a disorder that is relatively rare but is getting more attention nowadays in the media since people are more vocal than they have been in the past about dealing with the problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before autism is diagnosed, a parent may notice that their child is not developing speech in a timely manner, although they may understand what is going on around them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If autism is the cause, the apraxia can be the result of the sufferer not being able to pay attention long enough to learn proper speech. The feeling of being detached from the rest of the world can cause apraxia and speech problems, and social isolation can make the problem worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physical therapy is required to help apraxia sufferers with autism learn to improve their ability to communicate. This is particularly important for children with autism because it helps them connect socially and to improve speaking skills. 
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6. Epilepsy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Epilepsy <\/a>is a neurological problem that is characterized by seizures. These seizures usually occur daily or several times a week and involve an interruption of the sending of electrical symptoms of the brain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to not being able to speak or move properly when the seizure is going on, someone with epilepsy may suffer from long-term cognitive and motor problems, including apraxia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people with epilepsy can speak regularly as long as they aren\u2019t experiencing a seizure, whereas others may have mild or severe apraxia. Some of the apraxia may not be due only to brain disruption, but an unwillingness to speak or because of trauma-related to seizures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with epilepsy may experience apraxia on a consistent basis or only before or after a seizure. Medications can help prevent seizures and may help with apraxia arising from epilepsy. Physical and speech therapy can also be helpful. 
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7. Genetic abnormality <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are many genetic problems that can be the root of the problem of apraxia. If apraxia has a genetic basis, it usually is apparent early on in the life of a child, perhaps even before the child would have been an age to develop the ability to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genetic <\/a>problems that affect the brain and nervous and motor systems may reveal themselves in difficulty swallowing, eating and producing sounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the genetic abnormality, whether it affects the brain and what part of the brain it affects, speech may be entirely absent or it may be like regular apraxia which involves slurring words and misplacing syllables. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the problem is genetic, there are ways the condition can be managed through medication and physical therapy, but it may or may not be likely that speech problems can be entirely reversed. 
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8. Injury<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An injury <\/a>can completely change a person\u2019s life. A car or motorcycle injury or having a heavy object falling on one\u2019s head can lead to a complete alteration of brain functioning, particularly in children. If the motor section of the brain is harmed, this injury can lead to permanent speech impairment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, the speech problem can be reversed if the injury is healed, but in other cases, there can be permanent damage to the brain and speech. Regardless of the cause of apraxia, physical therapy can be helpful in aiding the sufferer to improve their ability to communicate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Injuries can lead to all kinds of unpredictable changes in the brain, so one speech problem can readily lead to another. You may notice one day that the apraxia sufferer is slurring speech and on another day, they may speak clearly and put stresses on the wrong syllables. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apraxia has a number of causes, including infection, injury, degenerative illnesses and traumas such as stroke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any problem affecting the brain can lead to speech impairment, whether the problem is focused on the section of the brain enabling cognitive functioning or motor functioning. Apraxia in children can pre-date their first word, and speech can come along quite slowly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children with developmental disorders that affect speech may mean that the child will not learn to speak clearly without extensive treatment through medication and speech therapy. Some cases of apraxia are temporary and others are long-lasting, particularly with neurological degenerative disorders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apraxia tends to be characterized by difficulty in producing speech rather than comprehending speech. It is possible for those with apraxia to understand what is being said, but may not be able to form the words properly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therapy can help improve speech and can go a long way making communication possible <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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