Aphasia

Aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to comprehend, formulate, and use spoken or written language due to damage to the brain, typically in the left hemisphere where language processing occurs. It most commonly results from a stroke, but can also be caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI), brain tumors, infections, epilepsy, or progressive neurological conditions such as primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and other dementias.

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The severity and characteristics of aphasia vary based on the location and extent of brain damage. The main types include:

• Broca’s Aphasia (Non-Fluent Aphasia): Difficulty in producing speech while comprehension remains relatively intact.
• Wernicke’s Aphasia (Fluent Aphasia): Impaired comprehension and meaningful speech production despite fluent verbal output.
• Global Aphasia: Severe impairment in both comprehension and speech production.
• Anomic Aphasia: Difficulty in finding words, despite otherwise preserved language abilities.
• Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA): A neurodegenerative condition where language abilities decline over time.

While intelligence and cognition are typically unaffected, aphasia can significantly impact communication, social interactions, and daily activities. Treatment, including speech-language therapy and alternative communication strategies, can help individuals regain language function and improve quality of life.

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For more information, explore related terms such as Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Primary Progressive Aphasia, Expressive and Receptive Language, and Speech-Language Therapy.