Aphasia

Table of Contents (click to jump to sections)
What is Aphasia?
Is there any treatment?
What is the prognosis?
What research is being done?

Organizations
Additional resources from MEDLINEplus

What is Aphasia?
Aphasia is a neurological disorder caused by damage to the portions of the brain that are responsible for language. Primary signs of the disorder include difficulty in expressing oneself when speaking, trouble understanding speech, and difficulty with reading and writing. Aphasia is not a disease, but a symptom of brain damage. Most commonly seen in adults who have suffered a stroke, aphasia can also result from a brain tumor, infection, head injury, or dementia that damages the brain. It is estimated that about 1 million people in the United States today suffer from aphasia. The type and severity of language dysfunction depends on the precise location and extent of the damaged brain tissue.

Generally, aphasia can be divided into four broad categories: (1) Expressive aphasia involves difficulty in conveying thoughts through speech or writing. The patient knows what he wants to say, but cannot find the words he needs. (2) Receptive aphasia involves difficulty understanding spoken or written language. The patient hears the voice or sees the print but cannot make sense of the words. (3) Patients with anomic or amnesia aphasia, the least severe form of aphasia, have difficulty in using the correct names for particular objects, people, places, or events. (4) Global aphasia results from severe and extensive damage to the language areas of the brain. Patients lose almost all language function, both comprehension and expression. They cannot speak or understand speech, nor can they read or write.

Is there any treatment?

In some instances, an individual will completely recover from aphasia without treatment. In most cases, however, language therapy should begin as soon as possible and be tailored to the individual needs of the patient. Rehabilitation with a speech pathologist involves extensive exercises in which patients read, write, follow directions, and repeat what they hear. Computer-aided therapy may supplement standard language therapy.

What is the prognosis?

The outcome of aphasia is difficult to predict given the wide range of variability of the condition. Generally, people who are younger or have less extensive brain damage fare better. The location of the injury is also important and is another clue to prognosis. In general, patients tend to recover skills in language comprehension more completely than those skills involving expression.

What research is being done?

The NINDS and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders conduct and support a broad range of scientific investigations to increase our understanding of aphasia, find better treatments, and discover improved methods to restore lost function to people who have aphasia.

Select this link to view a list of studies currently seeking patients.

Organizations

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) 10801 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852-3279 actioncenter@asha.org http://www.asha.org Tel: 800-638-8255 Fax: 301-571-0457	National Aphasia Association 350 Seventh Ave. Suite 902 New York, NY 10001 naa@aphasia.org http://www.aphasia.org Tel: 212-267-2814 800-922-4NAA (4622) Fax: 212-267-2812
Aphasia Hope Foundation 2436 West 137th Place Leawood, KS 66224 judistradinger@aphasiahope.org http://www.aphasiahope.org Tel: 913-484-8302	National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) National Institutes of Health, DHHS 31 Center Drive, MSC 2320 Bethesda, MD 20892-2320 nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov http://www.nidcd.nih.gov Tel: 301-496-7243/800-241-1044 800-241-1055 (TTD/TTY)

Prepared by:
Office of Communications and Public Liaison
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892

NINDS health-related material is provided for information purposes only and does not necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or any other Federal agency. Advice on the treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient's medical history.

All NINDS-prepared information is in the public domain and may be freely copied. Credit to the NINDS or the NIH is appreciated.

Return to top

Last updated June 18, 2007

This information has been provided by The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
Retreived on 8/6/2007