praxis-, -praxsis, -praxia, -praxic, -praxi-

A normal ability to perform coordinated movements: "The doctor told his patient that his muscular performances were normal and very good; especially, for someone of his age of 90."

A reference to correct or normal actions: "The medical diagnosis of the man indicated that he had eupraxic movements."

Excessive or abnormal activity or movements: "The patient's hyperpraxia indicated a restlessness that might be a result of some mental disorder."

"The man explained his hyperpraxia by saying, 'I'm telling you, doc, my hands aren't clenching now, but somebody's moving my hands without my wanting them to move!' "

"One explanation for the patient's hyperpraxias could be that they were caused by low calcium levels which are known to make people anxious or even psychotic, probably by changing the way nerve signals are transmitted in the brain."

A reference to continuous involuntary movements as seen in a disease of the central nervous system: "The hyperpraxic patient told the doctor that something was forcing him to clench his hands and he couldn't stop whatever was causing it."

"The doctor explained that the man's hyperpraxic condition could be a result of a lack of calcium which helps to sustain cardiac muscle contraction because all of the muscles require calcium to work properly. Low calcium also explains the patient's twitching hands because without enough calcium, skeletal muscles can go into spasms."

A condition in which a person's conceptual process is missing, often because of a lesion in the parietal lobe of the brain which is that part of the cerebral hemisphere that lies beneath the parietal bone or the main side bone of the skull: Susan has ideational apraxia, or sensory apraxia, and is incapable of formulating certain plans for the movements of things because she doesn't know what the proper uses of the objects are.

Working in the kitchen can be dangerous when someone, like Jane, suffers from ideational apraxia and is not sure how to use kitchen equipment correctly.

A disorder in which simple acts can not be performed in sequences or a continuous series of actions: "The ailments known as ideomotor apraxia and ideokinetic apraxia handicap people because they have nervous-system disorders that result in deficits in the execution of movements due to the inability of accessing the neural instructions to the muscles."

"Those neural instructions were stored by previous motor experiences when simple-single acts could be performed but those who have ideomotor apraxias can't do a sequence of associated actions."

Incapable of performing movements that are necessary to use objects properly although the names and purposes of the objects are known and understood: "When a person has motor apraxia, there is no loss of normal motor movements or strength, but the reasons for the movements are confusing."

"Despite having a trainer, the client continued to experience motor apraxia and was unable to ride his bicycle safely."

Correction of body and limb deformities with the use of a mechanical apparatus or devices: "The woman's doctor prescribed orthopraxy as a method for correcting the deformities of her legs which happened during the auto accident."

1. A minor unplanned mistake that is usually observed in speech or writing or in small accidents or memory lapses etc.: Ted noticed that the woman's parapraxes included actions in which her conscious intentions were often not entirely carried out, as when she couldn't remember to take her car and/or house keys with her when she wanted to go shopping.

Parapraxia is also known as a "Freudian slip" or "a slip of the tongue", a minor error in speech or action that turns out to be what the person really wanted to say or to do.

While the error of a parapraxis tends to be laughed off, Freud saw the process as a compromise between the fulfillment of an unconscious wish and a conscious effort to repress it.

2. A motor disturbance or an abnormal movement of a body part in which the patient is unable to carry out desired movements and who performs unintended actions: Manfred's parapraxis resulted at times in his accidentally stumbling or walking in an awkward way on a level surface while being sober and alert.
3. Etymology: "faulty action, blunder"; from Modern Latin which comes from para-. "contrary, irregular" + Greek praxis, "a doing, a transaction, a business"; from the stem of prattein. "to do". © ALL rights are reserved.

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One of the many terms used to describe the drugs that have an action on the mind or psyche: "His physician warned his patient to be careful about using too many phrenopraxic medicines; such as, tranquilizers, ataractics (compounds depressing physiological or psychological activities or responses), psychotropics (modifying mental activities), etc."

An animation device that was invented in France in 1877 by Charles-Émile Reynaud: "The praxinoscope, or action viewer, used a strip of pictures that were placed around the inner surface of a spinning cylinder which gave the impression that the images were moving their legs, etc. in an animated format."

1. Acquisition of the ability to perform skilled movements: "The praxis is what is acquired during the sensory-motor stage of the development of a child's physical and mental systems in order to produce co-ordinated and deliberate movements."

"Through long hours of practice, her sister acquired the praxis of playing the piano."

"The praxes include the practical applications or exercises of knowledge, as opposed to theories."

"The geography class he was taking stressed the praxis of knowledge by scheduling several study trips to the countryside."

3. The habitual or usual practice or custom of doing something: "The man has a series of praxes at the fitness studio that include disciplined exercises that have been devised to keep him healthy and in good physical condition."

"The praxis of our neighborhood is to take cookies to new neighbors when they first move in."

The medical treatment of diseases with forms of electromagnetic radiation: "Some therapeutic procedures for cancer patients have included radiopraxis or X-rays and other forms of radiation."

Being unable to perform a movement involving the use of a tool, an instrument, or another object: "The man's sensory apraxia handicapped him because he couldn't determine the size, shape, and purpose of what the doctor meant when he was told to pick up a hammer, the pliers, etc."

The inability to perform complex or co-ordinated movements: "Visual apraxia takes place when an individual fails to represent spatial relations correctly as when drawing or when involved in some form of construction."