Aphasia Disease
Aphasia is a disorder in language, which affects the production or understanding of speech and the ability to read or write. The part of the brain that regulates language proficiency is generally located on the left side of the brain, disorders in this section can cause aphasia.
People with aphasia often make mistakes in understanding and conveying a sentence. The selection of assembled and delivered words is not uncommon according to what is intended.
Causes of Aphasia
Aphasia is most often caused by disorders in the part of the brain governing language and speech ability. In most people, this section lies in the left brain.
The Aphasia is most often caused by a stroke. However, all types of damage to the brain can cause aphasia. For example, brain trauma, brain tumors, and other brain disorders that deteriorate over time.
Diagnosis of Aphasia
To determine the diagnosis of aphasia necessary thorough evaluation by a physician. Checks can be made to assess the ability to understand words, questions, stories; mentioning words and sentences; Writing and Reading; Convey ideas in other ways when there is difficulty speaking (e.g. with gestures, and so on).
The presence of damage to the brain can be examined further by supporting examination, e.g. through a CT-scan or MRI.
Symptoms of Aphasia
There are several types of aphasia with different symptoms, namely:
- Global aphasia: Is the most severe type of aphasia. A person with global aphasia can produce only a few understandable words and can not or only slightly understand when asked to speak. The sufferer is unable to read or write.
- Aphasia Broca (non-fluent aphasia): On this form of aphasia, the talks are very limited and usually in the language delivery of sufferers using short words (usually less than four words).
The vocabulary in the people of Aphasia Broca is very limited. The sufferer can generally understand the words conveyed to him reasonably well and able to read, but limited in writing.
- Mixed non-fluent aphasia: In this aphasia, sufferers have difficulty pronouncing words and only a few words are pronounced, similar to the state of a severe Broca aphasia.
The difference is that the sufferer has difficulty understanding the words conveyed to him. The ability to read and write is very limited, similar to elementary school children.
- Aphasia Wernicke: On this aphasia, the production of words did not run into problems while the ability to understand the spoken word was interrupted. As a result, patients generally speak a lot of words creating long sentences, and often meaningless.
- Aphasia Anomik: A person with this aphasia will have difficulty finding the words necessary to convey his intention, often this word is a noun or adjective.
If speaking, the sufferer will use many words, although correct in the grammar. The understanding of words is generally not problematic.
- Progressive primary aphasia: is a neurological syndrome in which language skills are disrupted slowly and progressively. This condition is due to neurodegenerative problems, e.g. because of Alzheimer's disease.
In this case, there is brain tissue damage that is functioning for language ability. Although the language problem begins, in the advanced stage can arise other problems, e.g. memory loss.
- Other types: including various types of aphasia that are not fully included in the categories already described above. There can be combinations of some types of aphasia.
Treatment of Aphasia
The result of the treatment of aphasia is often influenced by the cause of brain damage that gives rise to the aphasia, areas of the brain that suffer damage and breadth, as well as the age and level of health of the sufferer.
It is generally advisable to conduct speech therapy to help the Aphasia. This therapy aims to help a person use the remainder of his or her language ability, restore the ability to speak as closely as possible, and learn other ways to communicate (e.g. by drawing, pointing, using Electronic equipment, and so on).