Re: Apraxia and the brain

[Guest guest]

Very well put. You are so correct. I would like hear more about this woman's

practice, myself.

From at least birth,everything we do has a neurological basis. First there are

reflexes we are born with, then we learn as we grow and our brain processes

information. But when our brain has an interruption in the pathway (such as in

apraxia), the brain does not process the information the correct way. New

pathways have to be constructed to replace the damaged one. (It is kinda like a

highway bridge that has crumbled and is no longer funtional; new replacement

roads and alternate routes have to be constructed so the traffic can detour and

find another way to get where they are going. Sometimes with detours, you really

do not know where you are going and it may take a few wrong turns to get there.

Sometimes you even find a better route than the one that someone told you to

take.)

By the way, it is the " pons " , " midbrain " , and " cortex " .

[Guest guest]

> are you saying apraxia is related to tbi?

Sharon, yes, it is well documented that acquired apraxia is typically from head

trauma or stroke. In children they refer to it as developmental because most

assume that children with apraxia are born with it. My son Tanner regressed so

he must have had some sort of injury -which in his case may have been the high

fevers. This topic has come up much over the years -it was a heated debate 4

years ago because some MD called apraxic children " brain damaged " Below are a

few archives on this:

It's either the very sad reality, or competence in judgment as an MD

to know when to use a word like " damaged " vs " injury " in speaking

about a child's brain. Especially when they don't even know 'if'

there actually is a hard sign injury.

Again this entire hot topic conversation stems from some

professional's unsubstantiated opinion that all children with

apraxia are " brain damaged " Again -I don't agree at all.

I personally do not consider my boys brain damaged even though in

one way or another both probably did had some brain 'injury'

or 'trauma' at one point that they have " overcome " . Both 11 year

old Dakota and 9 year old Tanner would be viewed as " normal " by most

today -are mainstreamed in school and life in every way, have tons

of friends, and are great students. They overcame whatever

impairments they had years ago before school age - enough to blend

at least. Tanner still has a mild expressive speech delay which

puts him a big younger -but it doesn't affect him socially or

academically and it's something he continues to overcome. Tanner

was diagnosed severe to profound apraxia. So 'is' apraxia brain

damage? No. Does one overcome brain " damage " ?

Not only don't I consider my boys brain damaged -none of the MDs

that diagnosed my boys used the words " brain damaged " -even for

Dakota who had " traumatic brain injuries " from birth trauma.

Re: does anyone have...

Suzi of course parents should get testing to see if there was any

damage that can be picked up on an MRI. I believe however (unless I

misunderstood this) that an MD implied any child that has apraxia has

brain damage. That is what I'm attacking if that is what was said.

Shame on him or her. The percentage of children in this group who

have had MRIs is actually quite high. The percentage of those that

have been diagnosed with any type of TBI is extremely low. I'm not

saying there are not subtle areas of the brain that may be dormant,

or working as quickly or effectively as they should. But our

children are 'children' and appear in many ways (such as your two

amazing girls) to be utilizing other pathways in some way. Until

research is done, and done, and done -OK -even started would be

nice -we don't know what the cause of the formally rare

apraxia 'esque' impairment we are seeing today in families with no

history of speech impairments and no MRI signs of " brain damage " is.

For those with documented brain damage -which by the way includes my

brother as a child- who became the youngest captain out of the Merchant Marine

Academy and then today the youngest partner in a Maritime Law Firm on Wall

Street in NYC -I speak from experience due to my own brother in knowing that

'nobody' wants to be called " brain damaged " even if they are diagnosed as a

child as such like my brother.

Nobody would use those words for him today -nobody! (even Dr. Gold

from Columbia who diagnosed him as such!)

As far as pregancy causing brain damage -if you don't consume enough

EFAs while pregnant the babies growing brain 'does' pull it from the

mom! You guys have 'got' to try taking fish oil for even one

week...and let me know what happens. (you will remember to let me

know once your taking fish oil!)

=====

[Guest guest]

Sharon,

It can be from traumatic brain injury, degenerative neural diseases (16%),

tumors (6%), or seizures (1%).

I have seen some research that impicates translocations in the chromosomes as a

cause as well.

Generally, the etiology is injury or damage to the brain structures in the

dominant hemisphere involved in speech programming.

Translocations can cause the damage because the chromosomes are mixed up.

There is a 4% undetermined etiology.

Either way, there is a neurological basis and the brain is what has to be

treated and/or repaired. You cannot fix the original damage, you can only build

new pathways. :0)

>

> susan,

>  

> are you saying apraxia is related to tbi?

>  

>  

> sl

>

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>

> Sharon Lang

>

[Guest guest]

It is damage in the brain, but " injury " is a nicer way to put it.

People " do " recover from damage to the brain all the time (i.e. stroke patients,

comatose patients labeled " brain dead " , and so on)

Many times the brain injury or damage does NOT show on the MRI, as I have been

told this by two different doctors and perhaps this is why the neurologist

thought it would be a " disservice " to do one on my son because in her eyes, it

would not change the treatment. However, in my eyes, the treatment varies

depending on what part or parts of the brain " specifically " are damaged.

Besides, one cannot rule out the possibility of a tumor without a scan.

For myself, I would like to know if the damage is confined to area 44 (Broca's

area) or does it spill over into area 41 (BTW, yes, that is where they came up

with the term for those people who saw ufo's in area 41 of Roswell, New Mexico.)

Anyways, injury, damage, broken pathway, or whatever you wish to call it, there

is a pathway or pathways in the brain that are broken and the brain has to be

repaired. (much the same as a stroke patient)