Aphasia

Aphasia is a language disorder due to brain damage from a stroke or head injury that results in impairment in the comprehension and/or formulation of language.Damage to the left hemisphere of the brain, which controls the language area, affects a person’s ability to communicate, which includes speaking, understanding, reading, writing and gesturing.

Fluent aphasia consists of impairment in language comprehension and speaking fluently with little or no meaning. Words are often used incorrectly. The main characteristics are word retrieval, parahasias (unintended sounds or word selection), invented words and preservation. Individuals with aphasia may also have other problems, such as dysarthria, apraxia, or swallowing problems.

Non-Fluent aphasia is characterized by difficulties with output with relatively spared comprehension. It is characterized by reduced vocabulary, grammatical errors and impairments of articulation, rate and prosody (rhythm, stress, and intonation) resulting in labored and effortful production. Speech is hesitant and pauses occur while trying to find the right word to say