aphasia
Pronunciation: ah-FAY-zee-ah
Acquired language disorder affecting comprehension or production of speech following brain injury.
Full Definition
Aphasia is an acquired neurological condition that impairs language abilities, including speaking, understanding, reading, and writing, typically resulting from damage to language areas in the dominant hemisphere (usually the left) of the brain. Common causes include stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, or neurodegenerative diseases. Major types include Broca's aphasia (non-fluent, with preserved comprehension), Wernicke's aphasia (fluent but with poor comprehension), global aphasia (severe impairment in all language modalities), and anomic aphasia (word-finding difficulties). Unlike motor speech disorders or cognitive impairments, aphasia specifically affects language processing while other cognitive abilities may remain intact. Assessment requires comprehensive evaluation of all language modalities to determine type and severity.
Usage
Usage note: Specify subtype when known. Dysphasia is sometimes used for milder forms, though aphasia is preferred.
In Context
- "The patient's Broca's aphasia resulted in telegraphic speech with preserved understanding of complex instructions." — Speech-language pathology evaluation
- "Anomic aphasia manifested as frequent word-finding pauses and circumlocution during conversation." — Language assessment report