apraxia /əprak″sē·ə/ [Gk, a + pressein, not to act] , an impairment in the ability to perform purposeful acts or to manipulate objects without any loss of strength, sensation, or coordination. Apraxia of speech is an inability to program the position of speech muscles and the sequence of muscle movements necessary to produce understandable speech, although understanding of speech remains intact. See also amnestic apraxia, ideational apraxia, motor apraxia, developmental apraxia. −apraxic, adj.
