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Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology pp 695–697Cite as

Constructional Apraxia

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Synonyms

Constructional dyspraxia

Short Description or Definition

Constructional apraxia is an inability to reproduce patterns or join component parts into a whole. This condition is assessed through observation of a patient completing activities such as drawing, copying, or building three-dimensional objects (Lezak, Howieson, & Loring, 2004). Impairments in processing spatial forms observed in constructional apraxia can occur in the absence of apraxia of singular motor movements (Benton, 1969).

Categorization

Recent studies suggest qualitatively different types of constructional apraxia determined by the location of brain insult. In general, patients with right hemisphere impairment make more coordinate type errors (e.g., distance and angular distortions), whereas those with left hemispheric impairment tend to commit categorical errors (e.g., position exchanges and pattern reversals) (Laeng, 2006). Patients with right hemispheric impairment generally experience difficulties with the...

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References and Readings

  • Benton, A. L. (1969). Constructional apraxia: Some unanswered questions. In A. L. Benton (Ed.), Contributions to clinical neuropsychology (pp. 128–141). Chicago: Aldine.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA

    Amy K. Byerley

  2. Department of Educational Psychology, Ball State University, Teachers College Room 524, 47306, Muncie, IN, USA

    Andrew S. Davis

Authors
  1. Amy K. Byerley
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  2. Andrew S. Davis
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Professor of Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry Virginia Commonwealth University – Medical Center Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, VCU, 980542, Richmond, Virginia, 23298-0542, USA

    Jeffrey S. Kreutzer

  2. Kessler Foundation Research Center, 1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ, 07052, USA

    John DeLuca

  3. Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Neurology and Neuroscience, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – New Jersey Medical School, New Jersey, USA

    John DeLuca

  4. Independent Practice, 564 M.O.B. East, 100 E. Lancaster Ave., Wynnewood, PA, 19096, USA

    Bruce Caplan

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Byerley, A.K., Davis, A.S. (2011). Constructional Apraxia. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_1446

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_1446

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-79947-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79948-3

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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