Intermediate
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
aphasia
Pronunciation: uh-FAY-zhuh
Language disorder caused by brain damage, affecting speech production or comprehension.
Full Definition
Aphasia is an acquired language disorder resulting from brain damage, typically stroke, that impairs the ability to speak, understand, read, or write. The condition affects language processing while leaving other cognitive abilities relatively intact. Different types include Broca's aphasia (non-fluent), Wernicke's aphasia (fluent but meaningless), and global aphasia (severe impairment across all language domains). Editorial teams must distinguish this from related conditions like dysarthria or apraxia.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from dysarthria (motor speech disorder) and apraxia (motor planning disorder).
In Context
- "The patient exhibited Broca's aphasia following the left hemispheric stroke." — clinical case report
- "Comprehensive aphasia testing revealed preserved comprehension with severely impaired expression." — neuropsychological assessment
Also known as
dysphasia
Don't confuse with
dysarthria
apraxia
dementia