She works in the Outpatient Occupational Therapy Program and the Duke Driving Program for older drivers. Strokes can be caused by hemorrhages or blood clots. With either type of stroke, blood supply to brain tissue may be interrupted which can then affect a persons ability to move, speak, and think. Other side effects that are common but may not get as much press is when there is damage to the nerves that supply the senses; smell, taste, vision, hearing, balance. A stroke may partially or fully damage these nerves impacting the function that they perform.
Apraxia is an acquired disorder of motor planning, but is not caused by incoordination, sensory loss, or failure to comprehend simple commands (which can be tested by asking the person to recognize the correct movement from a series). It is caused by damage to specific areas of the cerebrum.
Tactile Apraxia. Tactile apraxia is a tactile disorder of object exploration. It involves a disturbance of hand movement when manipulating an object in the presence of movements without use of an object (e.g., repetitive movements or gestures).