Ataxia vs. Apraxia

Main Difference

The main difference between Ataxia and Apraxia is that the Ataxia is a medical condition and Apraxia is a agnosia that is a loss of the ability to map out physical actions in order to repeat them in functional activities.

• Ataxia

  Ataxia is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that includes gait abnormality. Ataxia is a non-specific clinical manifestation implying dysfunction of the parts of the nervous system that coordinate movement, such as the cerebellum. Ataxia can be limited to one side of the body, which is referred to as hemiataxia. Several possible causes exist for these patterns of neurological dysfunction. Dystaxia is a mild degree of ataxia. Friedreich’s ataxia has gait abnormality as the most commonly presented symptom. The word is from Greek α- [a negative prefix] + -τάξις [order] = “lack of order”.

• Apraxia

  Apraxia is a motor disorder caused by damage to the brain (specifically the posterior parietal cortex). In which the individual has difficulty with the motor planning to perform tasks or movements when asked, provided that the request or command is understood and he/she is willing to perform the task. The nature of the brain damage determines the severity, and the absence of sensory loss or paralysis helps to explain the level of difficulty.

  The term comes from the Greek ἀ- a- (“without”) and πρᾶξις praxis (“action”).