Dyspraxia impairs fine and large motor skills due to underdeveloped or damaged motor neurons. It can be present at birth due to poor health during pregnancy or acquired later in life from a head injury, stroke, or illness. Early identification and treatment improve prognosis.
Dyspraxia is a disorder that involves impairment of fine and large motor skills. The cause of this disorder is unknown, but it is thought to be genetic or to result from improper development of the motor neurons that communicate information from the brain to the muscles. Developmental dyspraxia is present or discovered soon after birth and can result from poor health or narcotic use during pregnancy, premature birth, or abnormal birth weight. Acquired dyspraxia occurs later in life and is typically the result of a head injury, stroke, or a serious illness with swelling of the brain. Regardless of the cause, the sooner this problem is identified and treated, the better the prognosis.
The exact cause of dyspraxia is not known. Neurologists believe it may be caused by underdeveloped motor neurons, motor neurons forming the wrong connections, or motor neuron damage. As a result, information, such as movement and hand-eye coordination, is not transferred from the brain to the appropriate muscles. People with this disorder have poor or no muscle control, which affects functional areas such as movement, speech and perception.
Developmental dyspraxia is present at birth or occurs during early childhood, and several problems are suspected to cause this type of dyspraxia. This disorder can be caused by the mother’s use of alcohol, cigarettes, or illegal drugs during pregnancy. When the mother is severely underweight, suffers from a severe and prolonged illness, or faces restrictive food allergy during pregnancy, it can impact motor neuron development and result in this condition. Premature birth, severely low birth weight, or extremely high birth weight are also factors associated with this problem. This condition also tends to run in families, suggesting that there may also be a genetic component that contributes to the development of this disorder.
Acquired dyspraxia occurs after birth, following a head injury, illness, or stroke. The head injuries that cause this disorder typically involve brain damage from swelling or bruising. The diseases that lead to this condition can involve brain swelling or lack of oxygen damage, known as hypoxia, to the brain. When stroke causes this motor neuron problem, it is typically the result of hypoxia of the brain. Sometimes, acquired dyspraxia will only be temporary and will resolve once the head injury has healed or the illness has passed and the brain stops swelling and returns to normal.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
