Aphasia Flashcards
Aphasia
- Caused by damage to language zone of left hemisphere
- Most often caused by stroke
- Word finding problems
- Grammatical formation problems
- Discourse level problems
- Reading comprehension problems
- Writing problems
Dysarthria
- Caused by damage to motor control regions of the brain or to lower structures
- Variety of etiologies -stroke, PD, MS, ALS, CP
- Articulation problems
- Reduced intelligibility
- Poor coordination of respiration, phonation, and articulation
Broca’s discoveries
- Posterior part of frontal lobe was implicated in disorders of speech production
- Association of language disorders and damage to the left side of the brain
Wernicke’s discoveries
- Lesions in the temporal lobe region
- Beginning of classi connectionalist model; concept of flow of information within brain from one region to another
- Predicted existence of conduction aphasia due to disconnection
What causes aphasia?
- Left hemisphere CVA affecting structures in language zone or disrupting processing within those zones
- Neurodegenerative disease that affects left hemisphere
- Brain tumors
- TBI
Where is the language zone?
- Left hemisphere in portions of frontal, temporal, and parietal lobe
What artery feeds this region?
MCA
Broca’s area
Areas 44, 45 in frontal lobe
Wernicke’s area
Area 22 in temporal lobe
Assessment of Aphasia
- Auditory comprehension
- Verbal expression
- Reading comprehension
- Writing
Apraxia
Disorders of the execution of learned movement which cannot be accounted for either by weakness, incoordination, or sensory loss, or by incomprehension of or inattention to commands
Major aphasia syndromes
- Non-fluent syndromes - Broca’s, global, transcortical motor
- Fluent syndromes - Wernicke’s, Conduction, transcortical sensory, anomic
Treatment
- Fit it therapies
- Compensatory therapies
LPAA
o “The explicit goal is enhancement of life participation
o All those affected by aphasia are entitled to service
o The measures of success include documented life enhancement changes
o Both personal and environmental factors are targets of intervention
o Emphasis is on availability of services as needed at all stages of aphasia”
Broca’s aphasia
- Non-fluent
- Relatively preserved auditory comprehension
- Impaired repetition
