Aphasia

Aphasia is a disorder caused by damage to the parts of the brain that control language. It can make it hard for you to read, write and say what you mean to say. It is most common in adults who have had a stroke. Brain tumors, infections, injuries and dementia can also cause it. The type of problem you have and how bad it is depends on which part of your brain is damaged and how much damage there is.

There are four main types:

• Expressive aphasia – you know what you want to say, but you have trouble saying or writing what you mean
• Receptive aphasia – you hear the voice or see the print, but you can't make sense of the words
• Anomic aphasia – you have trouble using the correct word for objects, places or events
• Global aphasia – you can't speak, understand speech, read or write

Some people recover from aphasia without treatment. Most, however, need language therapy as soon as possible.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Aphasia on Wikipedia

'''Aphasia''' is a loss or impairment of the ability to produce or comprehend language, due to brain damage. It is usually a result of damage to the language centres of the brain (like Broca's area) which are most commonly found in the left hemisphere, and can be caused by a stroke or physical injury. Depending on the area and extent of the damage, someone may be able to speak but not write, or vice versa, or understand more complex sentences than he can produce. The brains of young children with brain damage sometimes restructure themselves to use different areas for speech processing, and regain lost function; adult brains are less "plastic" and lack this ability. Aphasia can be assessed in a variety of ways, from quick clinical screening at the bedside to several-hour-long batteries of tasks that examine the key components of language and communication. Aphasia is a language disorder that results from damage to portions of the brain that are responsible for language. For most people, these are parts of the left side (hemisphere) of the brain. Aphasia usually occurs suddenly, often as the result of a stroke or head injury, but it may also develop slowly, as in the case of a brain tumor. The disorder impairs both the expression and understanding of language as well as reading and writing. Aphasia may co-occur with speech disorders such as dysarthria or apraxia of speech, which also result from brain damage.

Who has aphasia?

What causes aphasia?

External Resources

Aphasia in Maurice Ravel - Richard Cytowic, MD provides a medical biography on the brain affliction that ended the composer's output, "trapping" new nusic in his head. [DOC format.]

Parrot Software - Offers speech and communication programs for people who suffer aphasia due to stroke, Alzheimer's, or other forms of brain injury.

Bungalow Software - Software for rehabilitation from stroke, aphasia, and head injuries.

Language Disorders Arena - Provides professionals and researchers in the area of Language Disorders and Aphasia with information on the range of Book, Journal and Test publications produced by Psychology Press, a member of the Taylor & Francis Group.

Grodzinsky, Yosef - Agrammatism, Aphasia, Neurolinguistics (Tel Aviv University, Israel)

Lou's Stroke - Link collection and personal story of Louis Albert, a survivor with diabetes and aphasia who has used assistive technology to create his site.

Stroke and Aphasia Information - Resources for stroke recovery, including home therapy tips and survivors' stories. Presented by Bungalow Software, a provider of rehabilitation programs.

Understanding Primary Progressive Aphasia - An article with a description, assistance available and where to obtain additional information.

WebMD Live Chat Transcript: - Living with aphasia with Martha Taylor Sarno, MD.

Portland State University Department of Communication - Provider of specialized speech-language programs, including a camp for individuals with aphasia and their families, and clinics focusing on stuttering, urban language, voice disorders, and communication challenges related to neurological conditions.

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