ABSTRACT

Purpose: Apraxia is a target of occupational therapy because it negatively affects a person ability and independence in performing basic and instrumental activities of daily living and the person’s social participation. We aimed to provide comprehensive information related to apraxia to effectively provide occupational therapy for patients with apraxia. Subjects: Diagnosis of apraxia involves evaluation through clinical observation, such as the ability to pantomime, imitate, and complete multi-step tasks, and standardized evaluation tools, such as the Test of Upper Limb Apraxia (TULIA) and the Apraxia Screen of TULIA (AST). Evidence-based interventions for apraxia include gesture and strategy training. Although evidence is still lacking, interventions using virtual reality or mirrors are also being introduced to treat apraxia. Interventions based on functional cognition concepts can also be applied to the treatment of apraxia. Functional cognitive interventions include tasks/habits and strategies and indirect interventions. Conclusion: Apraxia can cause difficulties when attempting to perform intentional movements, thereby reducing a participant's ability to perform functional activities. Accordingly, implementing patient-centered occupational therapy tailored to the special needs of patients with apraxia is necessary. Findings of this study will be meaningful for the implementation of evidence-based occupational therapy for apraxia.