Aphasia is a communication disorder which is commonly found in older adults, particularly those who suffered from a stroke. It results from an injury or damage to the language part of the brains where patients may experience difficulty speaking or finding the right word to complete their thoughts. Aphasia does not impair an individual’s intelligence but the ability to speak and understand others. The types of Aphasia can range from Anomic Aphasia to Mixed Non-Fluent Aphasia to Global Aphasia to Wernicke’s Aphasia to Broca’s Aphasia. The conditions range from being able to converse but experiencing difficulties finding the right word to a limited ability to communicate.
Signs and symptoms
- Difficulty speaking
- Struggling to find the appropriate term
- Using unrecognizable words
- Speaking or writing in sentence that does not make sense
- Unable to comprehend other’s conversation
- Speaking in short and incomplete sentences
- Difficulty in word recall
Note: these are just a few signs and symptoms provided for informational purposes. Do not attempt self-diagnosis based on this list.
Treatment
There are various treatments for Aphasia, and the treatment plan is dependent on the cause. For instance, should the patient suffer from a stroke, they will be referred to a speech language therapist to increase their ability to communicate or teach them to communicate in ways that does not involve speech to compensate for their language difficulties. Aphasia patients with brain tumors may be referred for surgical consultation for potential, further treatment.
Northern Neurology Specialties, Dr. Jill Bressler and our Team – Experts You Can Trust for for Aphasia Treatment
Northern Neurology Specialties recognizes the need for a tailored treatment plan and we have a team of medical professionals, internal and external, who have experience in Aphasia treatment. We will make sure patients have a plan for treatment across all disciplines to facilitate the best possible outcome. Contact us today to talk to a specialist and let us work together on your treatment plan.