Journal of Communication Disorders, Deaf Studies & Hearing Aids
Open Access

Aphasia: A Neurological Disorder

Alexandra Miriam^{* *}Correspondence: Dr. Alexandra Miriam, Department of Otolaryngology-Head/Neck Surgery-and Communicative Disorders, University of Louisville, Louisville, United States, Email:

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Description

Aphasia is a neurological condition in which a person has difficulty speaking or understanding what others are saying. This occurs when regions of the brain that control spoken language are damaged or disrupted. It is common in situations such as stroke. Aphasia is frequently curable, and speech treatment can benefit persons with this disease permanently. The type of aphasia a person has is determined by the location of the damage in the brain. Almost usually, this disease is an indication of another issue, such as a stroke or severe brain damage. It can also occur as a brief side effect of illnesses such as migraines. Aphasia is frequently curable, especially when the underlying disease is reversible or self-healing. Aphasia can affect anyone who has a brain injury that affects their capacity to speak or understand what others are saying. It is more frequent in middle-aged and older persons, owing to diseases such as stroke, but it can occur at any age. Aphasia is a rare disorder, with around 2 million people in the United States suffering from it and approximately 180,000 cases each year are recorded. It does effects the person frequently with specific circumstances. One example is stroke when almost one-third of those affected also have some kind of aphasia. Because this disease impairs the capacity to communicate, persons with this condition frequently believe that others find it difficult to understand them. This can lead to a variety of issues.

Symptoms of aphasia

Aphasia and aphasia-like diseases come in a variety of forms. While the symptoms of aphasia are quite similar, there are some significant variances. To understand how aphasia works, first we need to know about two distinct regions of the brain that work together while we communicate.

Broca's area: It regulates the muscles which are used to talk. It is located on the left side of your frontal lobe, slightly anterior to the forehead.

Wernicke's area: This area of the brain was named after a German neurologist who discovered that it affects the capacity to understand and choose the appropriate words to use when speaking. It is located on the left side, slightly above the ear, and is part of the temporal lobe. These two parts of the brain collaborate to allow talking. Wernicke's area analyses the knowledge of words and selects the ones we employ before sending signals to broca's region. When broca's region determines the words to employ, it sends signals to the muscles used in speech.

Causes of aphasia

Aphasia can occur as a result of any disorder that causes brain damage. It can also happen when a person has difficulties with the brain's processes. Alzheimer's disease is one of the possible reasons, aneurysms, surgery on the brain; tumors of the brain (including cancer), hypoxia in the brain (brain damage from lack of oxygen), traumatic brain damage, concussion, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia are causes of aphasia. Developmental disorders, congenital difficulties, seizures or epilepsy, genetic diseases (conditions inherited from one or both parents at birth, such as Wilson's disease), brain inflammation (encephalitis) caused by viral or bacterial infections or autoimmune disorders), migraine headaches (this effect is temporary), chemotherapy or radiation treatment, poisons and toxins (such as carbon monoxide poisoning or heavy metal poisoning), Transient Ischemia Attacks or strokes (TIAs).

Conclusion

A physical exam, questioning about the history, diagnostic imaging and testing, and other factors are used to diagnose aphasia. In certain circumstances, a healthcare physician will propose a series of tests to rule out other disorders or reasons that may produce symptoms similar to aphasia. Some instances are as follows: Sensory and nerve function examinations: These tests will ensure that hearing issues or nerve damage are not the sources of a condition that seems to be aphasia. Memory and cognitive tests: These tests confirm that the issue isn't with the person's thinking or memory. Diagnostic and imagingprocedure: These examinations check for lesions or evidence of brain injury in the affected area.