Aphasia
How does Aphasia affect the brain?
Aphasia is a disorder that results from damage to portions of the brain that are responsible for language. The disorder impairs the expression and understanding of language as well as reading and writing.
Symptoms:
- Jumbled speech
- Difficulty in expressing oneself
- Difficulty in speaking, reading, and writing
- Inability to form correct sentences
- Problems in understanding speech
What is the Prognosis?
The outcome of aphasia is difficult to predict given the wide range of variability of the condition. Generally, people who are younger or have less extensive brain damage fare better. The location of the injury is also important and is another clue to prognosis. In general, patients tend to recover skills in language comprehension more completely than those skills involving expression.
Location:
Areas of the brain affected by Broca's and Wernicke's aphasia.
Prevention:
- Exercising regularly
- Eating a healthy diet
- Keeping alcohol consumption low and avoiding tobacco use
- Controlling blood pressure