Aphasia Flashcards
What is aphasia?
When a person has difficulty with language creation or understanding (not motor).
What is dysarthria?
A motor speech disorder
What causes Wernicke’s (receptive) aphasia?
Lesion of the superior temporal gyrus.
Area ‘forms’ speech before sending to Broca’s area.
What are the features of Wernicke’s (receptive) aphasia?
Sentences make no/little sense, word substitution and neologisms but speech remains fluent/effortless (many words, normal rate and prosody - but make no sense). They may have little awareness what they are saying doesn’t make sense.
Comprehension is impaired - and speaking gibberish
What causes Broca’s (expressive) aphasia?
Lesions to the inferior frontal gyrus.
What are the features of Broca’s (expressive) aphasia?
They understand what is said (comprehension is unimpaired) but answer/speech is non-fluent, laboured and halting (can’t find the words).
What is the blood supply of the superior temporal gyrus (Wernicke’s area)?
Inferior division of the left MCA
What is the blood supply of the inferior frontal gyrus (Broca’s area)?
Superior division of the left MCA
What causes Conductive aphasia?
Lesions affecting the arcuate fasiculus - the connection between Wernicke’s and Broca’s area
What are the features of Conduction aphasia?
Speech is fluent but repetition is poor - as they go on there is a disconnect (can’t count to 10). Aware of the errors they are making.
Comprehension is normal.
What are the features of global aphasia?
Large lesion affecting all 3 of above areas resulting in severe expressive and receptive aphasia
