Aphasia is a communication disorder that results from damage to the parts of the brain that contain language in the left half of the brain. Aphasia is most commonly caused by stroke; however, other diseases, tumors or damage to the part of the brain that controls speech can also cause this disorder.
Deeper dive
Aphasia may cause difficulties in speaking, listening, reading and writing, but it does not affect intelligence. Individuals with aphasia may also have other problems, such as dysarthria, apraxia, or swallowing problems, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
There are four main types of aphasia:
1. Expressive aphasia – you know what you want to say, but you have trouble saying or writing what you mean
2. Receptive aphasia – you hear the voice or see the print, but you can’t make sense of the words
3. Anomic aphasia – you have trouble using the correct word for objects, places, or events
4. Global aphasia – you can’t speak, understand speech, read, or write
Most people with aphasia undergo speech and language therapy to help regain lost abilities. While many people eventually can compensate somewhat, most never fully regain their pre-aphasia communication skills, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Researchers are exploring drug therapy as an experimental approach to treating aphasia. According to the NIH, some studies are testing whether drugs that affect the chemical neurotransmitters in the brain can be used in combination with speech-language therapy to improve recovery of various language functions. Several medications, such as memantine (Namenda) and piracetam, have shown promise in small studies. But more research is needed before these treatments can be recommended, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Other research is focused on using advanced imaging methods, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), to explore how language is processed in the normal and damaged brain and to understand recovery processes. This type of research may advance knowledge of how the areas involved in speech and understanding language reorganize after a brain injury. The results could have implications for the diagnosis and treatment of aphasia and other neurological disorders.
A newer area of interest in aphasia research is noninvasive brain stimulation in combination with speech-language therapy. Two such brain stimulation techniques, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), temporarily alter normal brain activity in the region being stimulated.
The National Aphasia Association offers some tips for family and friends of those with the condition, and how to help their loved one cope.