Any disease or condition that affects the parietal lobe or other areas of the brain associated with motor function can produce a variety of symptoms, including apraxia. These conditions may include:

• Childhood speech apraxia. The most common cause of apraxia in children, childhood speech apraxia is a developmental disorder that is present from birth. It typically affects more boys than girls and is thought to be caused by some kind of neurological dysfunction. However, evidence of brain lesions or other differences in brain structure are not present in imaging tests. Childhood speech apraxia is more common in families with a history of communication disorders, leading some to suggest that genetics may play a role.
  
  
• Dementia. Collection of symptoms that include memory loss and reduced mental capabilities (e.g., intellectual functioning, reasoning). Apraxia is often associated with dementia. Many different conditions can cause dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia among people over the age of 65, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Alzheimer's disease occurs when neurons in the brain die or break their connections with other neurons. When this happens in the neural networks or parts of the brain associated with motor function, apraxia may occur.
  
  
• Stroke. A stroke is a life-threatening event in which part of the brain is deprived of adequate oxygen (hypoxia). Also known as a cerebrovascular accident or a “brain attack,” a stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts or becomes clogged by a blood clot or other mass. This prevents oxygen and other nutrients from getting to nerve cells in the affected area of the brain. These nerve cells can die within minutes, and the area of the body that they control can cease to function. A stroke can cause a number of symptoms, including apraxia.
  

  

• Traumatic brain injury. Apraxia may occur if a traumatic head injury damages the part of the brain that is associated with motor function.
  
  
• Brain tumor. Tumors can cause pressure to build in the brain and disrupt neuron functioning. This can lead to apraxia, which may come on suddenly or gradually. In some cases, removal of the tumor may restore motor function, although sometimes the damage is permanent.
  
  
• Corticobasal ganglionic degeneration. This is a degenerative neurological disorder that is more prevalent in people over 60. People with corticobasal degeneration experience a slow decline in cognitive ability because of the gradual death of brain cells in the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia. If the brain cells that affect motor functioning are affected, it can cause apraxia.