What is Aphasia?
Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder that impairs a person's ability to process language, but does not affect intelligence . Aphasia impairs the ability to speak and understand others, and most people with aphasia experience difficulty reading and writing. It may occur secondary to brain injury or degeneration and involves the left cerebral hemisphere to a greater extent than the right. It is a defect in the expression and comprehension of language caused by damage to the temporal and the frontal lobes of the brain.
CAUSES
Aphasia can be caused by a head injury, a tumour, a stroke, or an infection.Most aphasias and related disorders are due to stroke, head injury, cerebral tumors, or degenerative diseases. The neuroanatomic substrate of language comprehension and production is complex, including auditory input and language decoding in the superior temporal lobe, analysis in the parietal lobe, and expression in the frontal lobe, descending via the corticobulbar tracts to the internal capsule and brainstem, with modulatory effects of the basal ganglia and the cerebellum.
CAUSES
Aphasia can be caused by a head injury, a tumour, a stroke, or an infection.Most aphasias and related disorders are due to stroke, head injury, cerebral tumors, or degenerative diseases. The neuroanatomic substrate of language comprehension and production is complex, including auditory input and language decoding in the superior temporal lobe, analysis in the parietal lobe, and expression in the frontal lobe, descending via the corticobulbar tracts to the internal capsule and brainstem, with modulatory effects of the basal ganglia and the cerebellum.
Signs and Symptoms
Aphasia develops abruptly in patients with a stroke or head injury. Patients with neurodegenerative diseases or mass lesions may develop aphasia insidiously.
People with aphasia may exhibit the following symptoms:
· Difficulty using words and sentences (expressive aphasia)
· Difficulty understanding others (receptive aphasia)
· Difficulty with both using words and understanding (global aphasia)
· Patients may also experience problems with spoken and written language. Typically, reading and writing are more impaired than talking or understanding.
People with aphasia may exhibit the following symptoms:
· Difficulty using words and sentences (expressive aphasia)
· Difficulty understanding others (receptive aphasia)
· Difficulty with both using words and understanding (global aphasia)
· Patients may also experience problems with spoken and written language. Typically, reading and writing are more impaired than talking or understanding.
Communication Strategies: Some Dos and Don'ts:
The impact of aphasia on relationships may be profound, or only slight. No two people with aphasia are alike with respect to severity, former speech and language skills, or personality. But in all cases it is essential for the person to communicate as successfully as possible from the very beginning of the recovery process. Here are some suggestions to help communicate with a person with aphasia:
1) Make sure you have the person's attention before you start.
2) Minimize or eliminate background noise (TV, radio, other people). 3) Keep your own voice at a normal level, unless the person has indicated otherwise. 4) Keep communication simple, but adult. Simplify your own sentence structure and reduce your rate of speech. Emphasize key words. Don't "talk down" to the person with aphasia. 5) Give them time to speak. Resist the urge to finish sentences or offer words. |
6) Communicate with drawings, gestures, writing and facial expressions in addition to speech.
7) Confirm that you are communicating successfully with "yes" and "no" questions. 8) Praise all attempts to speak and downplay any errors. Avoid insisting that that each word be produced perfectly. 9) Engage in normal activities whenever possible. Do not shield people with aphasia from family or ignore them in a group conversation. Rather, try to involve them in family decision-making as much as possible. Keep them informed of events but avoid burdening them with day to day details. 10) Encourage independence and avoid being overprotective. |