Aphasia and Language

Aphasia and LanguageRelated Agnosia and Apraxia
Language-related agnosia and
apraxia
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Pure word deafness
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Agraphia
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A patient hears and reads normally but does not
recognize any words. This verbal agnosia is
analogous to visual agnosia.
A patient can move and read normally but can not
write to dictation. This is a kind of apraxia.
Alexia
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A patient can see and can write to dictation
normally but can not read because the patient can
not recognize words. This is a form of visual
agnosia.
Aphasia
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Any language disorder that is the result of
brain injury is called aphasia.
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Virtually all aphasias are the result of damage to
the left hemisphere.
Aphasia is more severe if the right hemisphere is
also damaged.
Very young children make much better recoveries
from aphasia than adults.
Left handers are usually somewhat less impaired
than right handers.
Principal Symptoms of Aphasia
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All aphasia involves word finding
difficulty, which is called anomia. In
addition, aphasias may be classified into
two main types:
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Broca’s aphasia
Wernicke’s aphasia
Conduction aphasia
Broca’s or Expressive or
Nonfluent Aphasia
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Most obvious symptom is halting and labored
speech.
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Function words and inflections are particularly difficult.
Syntax is poorly understood.
The patient is well aware of the problem.
Wernicke’s or Receptive or Fluent
Aphasia (also Semantic Dementia)

Speech is fluent, but meaningless, and contains a
great deal of meaningless jargon.
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Patient has poor or no understanding of language.
Often little or no awareness of the problem
(anosognosia).
Conduction Aphasia
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Patient is unable to repeat phrases or
sentences.
Understanding of words and sentences
is impaired.
Cortical Areas Associated with
Language and Aphasia
SYNTACTIC
PROCESSING
PHONOLOGICAL
CONSTRUCTION &
VERBAL COMPARISON
VERBAL
RESPONSE
SELECTION
PHONOLOGICAL –
ARTICULATORY
INTEGRATION
SENTENTIAL
RESPONSE
SELECTION
VISUAL – VERBAL
ASSOCIATION
VISUAL
COMPARISON &
CONSTRUCTION

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