Stroke —most common cause
Head injury
Brain tumor
Brain infection
Disorders that cause problems with the cells of the nervous system, such as Alzheimer disease

Stroke

Risk Factors

Aphasia is more common in older adults. It is also more common in people who have had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a mini-stroke.

Symptoms

Aphasia is a symptom of an underlying problem. It may cause:

Problems speaking:
- Speaking in short, broken phrases
- Putting words in the wrong order
- Using incorrect grammar
- Switching sounds or words
- Speaking in words that do not have meaning and do not make sense
- Problems finding the names for everyday words
Problems understanding speech:
- Needing extra time to process language
- Problems following very fast speech
- Taking the literal meaning of a figure of speech
Problems reading
Problems writing

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done. Speech language, and communication tests may be done. This is often enough to make the diagnosis. You may also need to see a doctor who treats the nervous system.

Other tests may be done to find the cause of the aphasia.

Treatment

The cause of aphasia will need to be treated. The goals of treating aphasia are to improve or maintain communication.

Speech and language therapy will be needed to:

Restore lost skills
Learn how to use existing skills
Learn other ways to communicate

Prevention

There are no guidelines to prevent aphasia. It is caused by underlying health problems.

RESOURCES:

National Aphasia Association
http://www.aphasia.org

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
http://www.ninds.nih.gov

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Aphasia Institute
http://www.aphasia.ca

Brain Injury Awareness
http://www.biaa.ca

References:

Aphasia. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed April 7, 2020.

Aphasia. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated March 6, 2017. Accessed April 7, 2020.

Stroke rehabilitation in adults. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dyname... . Updated February 24, 2020. Accessed April 7, 2020.

Last reviewed February 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Rimas Lukas, MD
Last Updated: 4/7/2020

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