Which statement distinguishes ideational apraxia from ideomotor apraxia?

• A. Ideational apraxia is a disturbance in conception of the object or gesture; ideomotor apraxia is a disturbance in performance of movements
• B. Ideational apraxia affects voluntary movements; ideomotor apraxia affects automatic movements
• C. Ideational apraxia is common; ideomotor apraxia is rare
• D. They are identical disorders with different names

Answer: (A)

The distinction being tested is how the action is planned versus how it is executed. Ideational apraxia involves a disturbance in the conceptualization of the action—trouble understanding the object or the sequence of steps needed to use it. Ideomotor apraxia, on the other hand, is a problem with performing the movement itself; the person may understand what to do and can describe it, but when asked to execute or imitate the gesture, the movements are awkward or incorrect despite intact knowledge. This aligns with the statement that ideational apraxia is a disturbance in conception, while ideomotor apraxia is a disturbance in performance. The other options don’t capture this core difference: they mix up voluntary versus automatic aspects, misstate frequency, or claim the disorders are identical.