15. Praxis

What is Being Tested?

Although apraxia indicates brain dysfunction, it can be caused by lesions in many different regions, so exact localization is often difficult. Apraxia is commonly present in lesions affecting the language areas and adjacent structures of the dominant hemisphere. This can make it challenging to prove that the deficit is apraxia rather than impaired language comprehension. The distinction can often be made by asking patients to perform a task; if the patient fails, demonstrate several tasks and ask them to choose the correct one.