Aphasia is a language disorder in which different parts of the brain are affected to interfere with your ability to communicate. Aphasia can be very frustrating, and take a lot of work to overcome -- if at all. Here’s a look at the causes, types, symptoms, and treatments of aphasia.
Causes of Aphasia
Aphasias are usually the result of a head injury or other neurological issue. Blood loss caused by a stroke can affect a particular area, causing a particular kind of aphasia. Similarly, according to the Mayo Clinic, traumatic brain injuries, tumors, infections, and degenerative diseases can all result in different forms of aphasia. These may be permanent or progressive and often appear in tandem with other cognitive dysfunctions.
Migraine, seizures (such as those caused by epilepsy), and transient ischemic attacks (TIA) can cause aphasias that are temporary in nature. Migraines are severe and chronic headaches; seizures come in a variety of ranges from staring into space for several minutes without realizing it to full unconscious convulsions. A TIA occurs when the brain fails to receive blood in a certain area for a brief period; it can also increase the risk of stroke.
Types of Aphasia
There are three main types of aphasias, although these may be further classified. Broca’s aphasia, or nonfluent aphasia, is named for the area of the brain it affects -- Broca’s area. Broca’s area is the part of the brain responsible for forming coherent sentences based on your vocabulary and grammatical rules. It is often characterized by short, broken sentences that are formed only on the key elements the individual is attempting to communicate. People with Broca’s aphasia generally understand, they simply cannot express.
Wernicke’s aphasia, or fluent aphasia, develops because of damage to Wernicke’s area. While Broca’s area is responsible for syntax, Wernicke’s area is responsible for definitions. Someone with fluent aphasia may speak in complete and complex sentences -- they just may not make any sense because of nonsense words or words that have nothing to do with the idea they are actually trying to relate. Additionally, they generally do not realize their sentences don’t make sense.
Global aphasia is a comprehensive inability to communicate. Global aphasia may interfere with an individual’s ability to speak, comprehend, or even read or write. It is generally considered the farthest reaching of the aphasias.
Other types of aphasias include:
- Anomic Aphasia: Difficulty identifying the intended word; affects speaking and writing.
- Primary Progressive Aphasia: A progressive and irreversible aphasia that interferes with all forms of communication; gestures are often the only means of communicating.
Symptoms of Aphasia
While the particular symptoms of aphasia depend on the particular type of aphasia present, they all share several common symptomatic factors. Aphasias cause difficulty with communication. Sentence structure may be essentially nonexistent, or it may seem to be composed of nonsense. Words or sounds may be substituted -- purposefully or with no real intent. They may even make up words to fill in blanks. Reading and writing may also be influenced. Many aphasias also interfere with an individual’s ability to comprehend other people’s conversation (for example, someone with Broca’s aphasia might be able to read but have difficulty writing).
Treatments for Aphasia
Managing aphasias generally takes a variety of treatments and a team of medical workers. In some cases, speech processes and comprehension can be relearned. In other instances, the disease may become slowly worse, despite all efforts. A licensed speech language pathologist may be a great benefit. They can help develop exercises and a treatment regimen, as well as someone to work with. For example, following a stroke, a speech pathologist might find different ways to connect with patients to help them learn to speak again through individual or even group therapy.
At present, speech therapy is largely the only option for treating aphasias. However, new research has turned up a few different medications that may show promise in the future.
