Aphasia

Definition

Aphasia is a communication disorder. People with aphasia may have difficulty with the expression and/or understanding of language, as well as reading and writing.

Causes

Aphasia is caused by an injury to parts of the brain that are involved with language. The injury may be the result of:

• Stroke, which is the most common cause
• Severe blow to the head
• Gunshot wound
• Other traumatic head injury
• Brain tumor
• Brain infection
• Neurodegenerative disorders
• Other brain conditions

Stroke

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Risk Factors

Factors that may increase your chances of developing aphasia include:

• Age: Older adult
• Family history of aphasia
• Prior history of transient ischemic attacks (TIA)—also called mini-strokes

Symptoms

Aphasia is a symptom of an underlying problem. It may include:

• Difficulty speaking:
  • Speaking in short, fragmented phrases
  • Putting words in the wrong order
  • Using incorrect grammar
  • Switching sounds or words
  • Speaking in nonsense
  • Anomia—word-finding problems
• Problems understanding oral language:
  • Needing extra time to process language
  • Difficulty following very fast speech
  • Taking the literal meaning of a figure of speech
• Problems reading
• Problems writing

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done.

If you have a brain condition, you are probably already seeing a doctor who specializes in the nervous system. This doctor will most likely be able to recognize your aphasia. Some simple tests may be done. For example, you may be asked to follow commands, answer questions, name objects, and have a conversation. You may then be referred to a speech-language pathologist who will perform additional tests to assess your speech and language skills.

Images may be taken of structures inside your head. This can be done with:

• MRI scan
• CT scan

Treatment

Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Treatment will focus on:

• Treating the underlying cause of aphasia
• Aphasia symptoms

Options for treating aphasia itself include:

Prevention

The most common cause of aphasia is stroke. To help reduce your chances of a stroke:

• Exercise regularly
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Limit dietary salt and fat
• Stop smoking
• If you drink, do so in moderation.
• Maintain an healthy weight
• Monitor and control your blood pressure
• Consider taking low-dose aspirin, if your physician advises you do so.
• Keep existing conditions, such as diabetes and high cholesterol, under control.
• Seek immediate medical help if you experience symptoms of a stroke