Aphasia/Communication Flashcards
What is Aphasia?
multi-modality reduction in the capacity to decode (interpret/understand) and encode (formulate/express) meaningful linguistic elements (words)
manifests in difficulty with listening, reading, speaking, and writing
What are the two basic categories of aphasia?
Broca’s aphasia (non-fluent)
Wernicke’s Aphasia (fluent)
What typically involves labored speech and a lack of use of syntax in speech production and comprehension
Agrammatism (broca’s aphasia)
What are the signs and symptoms of Broca’s Aphasia?
- non-fluent
- slow
- interrupted
- difficult initiation
- awkward articulation
- great effort
- restricted vocabulary
- simple/basic grammar
- replaces one word for another (yes/no)
- intact auditory comprehension
- aware of deficit
- highly frustrated
- difficulty reading and writing
What are some considerations a PT should have when communicating and working with a patient with Broca’s Aphasia?
- Acknowledge that you understand the language difficulties
- keep conversations/instructions short and simple
- encourage automatic speech and language
- accept short answers (1-3 words)
- offer choices
- use sound cues and gestures
What is anomia?
Difficulty in recalling correct content words, especially nouns
What is paraphasia?
Words coming out as meaningless neologisms (neologism=new words)
What are the signs and symptoms of Wernicke’s Aphasia
- unaware of language errors
- impaired auditory comprehension
- fluent/well articulated
- without effort
- talks and talks and talks
- long sentences in a variety of sentence structures
- word finding problems
- disordered writing and impaired reading
What PT considerations go along with patients with Wernicke’s Aphasia?
- Use their stronger visual system to facilitate comprehension and improve language skills
- draw pictures
- use gestures
- demonstrate
What are the general guidelines for communicating with patients who have aphasia?
- have person look at you when you speak
- speak slowly but at a natural pace with natrual volume and rhythm
- Use simple and direct language, DO NOT speak down to them
- avoid talking for the person
- ask for clarification in simple questions
- allow time to respond
True or False: Evidence suggests that attention deficits, while not ideal, are not a main factor that restricts a patient’s functionality.
False, recently attention deficits have been given primary consideration in the management of persons with aphasia
Evidence suggests that attention deficits restrict the patient’s ability to orient to a task, sustain focus, attend selectively to one task over another, and do multiple tasks
How can you reduce dual task demands in the clinic?
reduce verbal commands and defer conversation until after the task is complete
How can you increase message saliency for patients?
emphatic stress/prominent position and alter your pitch (reach HIGH–Reach loooww)
Which of these is NOT a proper way of adding a timing variable for pts. with aphasia?
- Using within sentence pauses
- Using silent pauses for 10-20 seconds
- Vary your sentence speed and tone randomly
- impose a response delay
-Vary your sentence speed and tone randomly
How can you reduce syntactic complexity in your language?
- Use active constructions (you’re walking well today vs. you’re walking went well today)
- Affirmative statements (right leg first vs. Don’t lead with your left leg)
- Present tense (you just walked 10 ft. vs you’ve walked 10 ft.)
((first sentence is good, second sentence is not))
