Prospective control of action: Computational principles, neural substrates, and clinical implications

Apraxias present an inability to perform certain actions (e.g. demonstrating how to use scissors) and patients labeled as apraxic are unable to carry out such actions even in the absence of any motor paralysis or weakness. Although rehabilitation professionals tend to think of apraxias as a motor impairment, cognitive neuroscientists characterize action errors as manifestations of higher-order cognitive deficits. Apraxias can impede an individual's ability to carry out many activities of everyday living but are generally not specifically addressed by therapists. Not surprisingly, apraxias are resistant to the standard approaches to upper limb rehabilitation, because the interventions are primarily aimed at improving strength and dexterity, not higher-order cognitive deficits.

This collaborative team proposes to examine how humans perform complex actions and how the cognitive systems supporting action are impaired by injury. Ultimately, such studies should lead to the design and testing of effective rehabilitation strategies.