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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.
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American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
10801
Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852-3279
actioncenter@asha.org
http://www.asha.org/
Tel:
301-897-5700 800-638-8255
Fax: 301-571-0457
National Aphasia Association
29 John Street
Suite 1103
New York, NY 10038
naa@aphasia.org
http://www.aphasia.org/
Tel:
212-267-2814 800-922-4NAA (4622)
Fax: 212-267-2812
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
(NIDCD)
National Institutes of Health
Bldg. 31, Rm. 3C35
Bethesda, MD 20892-2320
nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov
http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/
Tel:
301-496-7243 TTD/TTY: 301-241-1055
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