Language profile in different kinds of apraxia in post-stroke patients

Abstract

Background Stroke affects all aspects of communication of patients by causing disorders of motor control (dysarthria or apraxia) or language (dysphasia) or both. The aim of this study is to evaluate language skills in patients post-stroke presented with comorbidity with different types of apraxia. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out, and a number of 58 stroke adults with comorbid apraxic manifestations of various types were included after assessing them using the protocol of motor programming skills that was extracted from thesis titled “Assessment protocol of motor programming skills after cerebrovascular insults” from October 2016 to July 2018. They were subjected to the interview and personal history taking, and a modified comprehensive aphasia test to determine their language profile. Results Patients with verbal apraxia showed difficulty with tasks tapping verbal fluency, repetition, and picture description. The language deficits in ideational apraxia patients included cognition tasks, verbal fluency, sentence comprehension, and naming. Constructional apraxia patients showed language deficits in word comprehension, complex word repetition, and naming. Limb apraxia showed greater deficits on tasks tapping working memory and processing speed while buccofacial apraxia was accompanied by fewer language deficits in reading and repeating complex words. Conclusion Heterogeneous language profile was found in different types of apraxia.