Aphasia
Pronunciation: uh-FAY-zhuh
An acquired language disorder resulting from brain damage that impairs the ability to speak, understand, read, or write, without affecting intellect.
Full Definition
Aphasia arises most commonly from stroke affecting the dominant cerebral hemisphere, though traumatic brain injury, tumours, and progressive neurological disease may also cause it. It is classified by fluency, comprehension, and repetition into subtypes such as Broca's (non-fluent, poor repetition), Wernicke's (fluent, impaired comprehension), and global aphasia. Editors must distinguish aphasia from dysarthria (motor speech impairment) and from cognitive-communication disorders; all three may co-occur. In rehabilitation documentation, the type of aphasia should be specified because it affects therapy approach and patient communication access considerations.
Usage
Usage note: Do not use 'aphasia' interchangeably with 'dysarthria'. Aphasia is a language disorder; dysarthria is a motor speech disorder. Specify subtype (e.g., Broca's aphasia) when documented.
In Context
- "The speech-language pathologist documented Wernicke's aphasia, noting fluent but semantically empty speech output." — Initial rehabilitation assessment
- "Communication supports were modified to accommodate the patient's receptive aphasia during therapy sessions." — Occupational therapy session note