Introduction to Aphasia slides

Question 1

what are characteristics of aphasia?

Answer 1

-difficulty with expressive/receptive language
-acquired
-comprehension deficits w/spoken and written
-difficulty word-finding
-caused by the brain

Question 2

what is NOT aphasia?

Answer 2

-cognitive impairment (executive functioning aka memory problems or attention problems)
-motor problem or muscle weakness
-sensory deficit
-psychiatric disorder

Question 3

what is the ASHA definition of aphasia?

Answer 3

an acquired communication disorder caused by brain damage, characterized by impairment of language modalities: speaking, listening, reading, and writing

it is not the result of a sensory deficit, a general intellectual deficit, or a psychiatric disorder

Question 4

what arteries are the most likely to cause aphasia?

Answer 4

MCA and ACA

Question 5

how frequent is aphasia?

Answer 5

180,000 diagnosed every year, about 2million Americans have it

there are more people with aphasia than Parkinson’s

Question 6

what can cause aphasia?

Answer 6

-hemmorage
-TBI
-Stroke
-tumor
-infection
-primary progressive aphasia

Question 7

what are nonmodifiable factors that can cause a stroke?

Answer 7

age or race

Question 8

what are modifiable factors of a stroke (CVA)?

Answer 8

hypertension, diet, and smoking

Question 9

which stroke (CVA) is more common?

Answer 9

ischemic

Question 10

what are neoplasms?

Answer 10

tumors

Question 11

what is the percentage of tumors that cause aphasia? what about stroke?

Answer 11

T: 30-50%
S: 25-50%

Question 12

fluency is —

Answer 12

multi-dimensional

Question 13

fluency is NOT….

Answer 13

just the # of words they use

Question 14

what are the factors of fluency?

Answer 14

-phrase length
-rate
-thematic elaboration
-articulatory agility
-prosody
-grammar/syntax

Question 15

what are some limitations of multidimensional aphasia subtypes?

Answer 15

-characteristics often don’t fit neatly into subtypes
-change across time
-doesnt consistently inform treatment

Question 16

what are the two patterns of recovery?

Answer 16

1. early- within first several weeks (acute aphasia)
2. Late- months and years post stroke (chronic aphasia)

Question 17

define spontaneous recovery

Answer 17

1-3 months post onset aphasia
fastest recovery: 1 month post

Question 18

what are the factors of prognosis?

Answer 18

initial severity
lesion size and location (more important!)
pre-existing lesions and conditions
neuroplasticity
involvement in wernicke’s area
involvement of subcortical white matter

Question 19

for factors of prognosis, what is the consideration for broca’s aphasia?

Answer 19

extension of lesion anteriorly into areas responsible for executive functions

Question 20

what is Alexia without agraphia?

Answer 20

someone looses the ability to read but can still write

Question 21

define agnosia

Answer 21

a neurological condition in which a person is unable to recognize or identify objects, people, sounds, shapes, or smells even though their sensory organs and memory are intact

Question 22

what is pure word deafness?

Answer 22

a person cannot understand spoken language despite having normal hearing and the ability to speak, write, and read

they can hear sounds but cannot comprehend words

Question 23

what is crossed aphasia?

Answer 23

a language impairment occurs after brain damage to the hemisphere that is not typically dominant for language

Question 24

what are the subcortical aphasias?

Answer 24

thalamic aphasia
-fluent speech and frequent word substitution

anterior subcortical aphasia
-damage to the basal ganglia or nearby areas

posterior subcortical aphasia
-damage to white matter near thalamus