Aphasia and Neurology Overview

These flashcards summarize key terms and definitions related to aphasia, strokes, and neuroanatomy, important for understanding their implications in communication disorders.

Aphasia

An acquired communication language disorder caused by brain/neuro damage that impairs a person's ability to use language.

Anomia

A symptom of aphasia characterized by difficulty in word finding.

Paresis

Weakness in muscle movement, usually on one side of the body.

Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)

A stroke, which is the most common cause of aphasia.

Broca's Aphasia

A type of non-fluent aphasia that results from damage to the frontal lobe, leading to difficulty in speech production.

Wernicke's Aphasia

A type of fluent aphasia characterized by severe comprehension deficits and fluent yet meaningless speech, associated with damage to the left temporal cortex.

Paraphasia

Unintended errors in spoken or written language where sounds, syllables, words, or phrases are substituted or added.

Phonemic Paraphasia

Substitution of one sound for another (e.g., interchanging /p/ and /b/).

Neologistic Paraphasia

Formation of made-up words that have no meaning.

Alexia

An impairment in reading ability.

Agraphia

An impairment in writing ability.

Ischemic Stroke

A type of stroke caused by interruption of blood flow due to a blockage, which leads to infarction.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

A type of stroke caused by rupture or leakage of an artery, resulting in bleeding in or around the brain.

Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA)

The cerebral artery most often occluded in strokes, it is the largest artery and often most important because it supplies key language areas including Broca's and Wernicke's areas.

Agnosia

An inability to recognize items or objects.

Prosopagnosia

Inability to recognize familiar faces.

Tissue Plasminogen Activator (TPA)

A medication commonly used for treating ischemic strokes if administered within a specific time limit after the onset. (2-3 hrs)

Cognitive-Linguistic Skills

Skills related to planning, following directions, and rational thinking.

Stroke Risk Factors

Factors such as age, sex, race, and genetics that cannot be modified, and lifestyle choices like smoking, weight, and diabetes that can be modified.

Neurology

The study of anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the nervous system.

Acute Care

Immediate care provided during a medical emergency, such as a stroke.

Subacute Care

Long-term rehabilitation care after the acute phase of treatment.

Chronic Care

Ongoing support for individuals with long-term needs, often in a home setting.

Corpus Callosum

The bundle of fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Broca’s Aphasia 

non-fluent aphasia that results from damage to the frontal lobe, leading to difficulty in speech production.

Wernicke's Aphasia

fluent aphasia characterized by severe comprehension deficits and fluent yet meaningless speech, associated with damage to the left temporal cortex.

Transcortical Motor Aphasia

A type of non-fluent aphasia similar to Broca's aphasia, but with preserved repetition abilities.

Transcortical Sensory Aphasia

A type of fluent aphasia similar to Wernicke's aphasia, but with preserved repetition abilities. common symptom: echolalia

Conduction Aphasia

fluent aphasia characterized by significant difficulty with repetition, but good fluency and comprehension.

Global Aphasia

A severe form of non-fluent aphasia characterized by significant impairment across all language modalities, including speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing.

Transcortical Mixed Aphasia

rare type of non-fluent aphasia characterized by significant impairment in both comprehension and spontaneous speech, but with a relatively preserved ability to repeat. MIX OF TRANSCORTICAL MOTOR & SENSORY APHASIA

Fluent Aphasias

▪Wernicke’s aphasia

▪Transcortical sensory aphasia

▪Conduction aphasia

▪ Anomic aphasia

Anomic Aphasia

mildest form; Slightly impaired comprehension with fluent,

syntactically correct utterances with word

retrieval deficits; some pausing when speaking 

Anticogulants

bloodthinners; prevent blood clots from forming or growing larger, often used in the treatment or prevention of strokes, particularly ischemic strokes caused by clots.

Antiplatlets

“baby” aspirin; to prevent blood clots and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by inhibiting platelet aggregation.

Angioplasty

medical procedure used to open up narrowed/blocked arteries due to plaque build up

Diuretics

medications that promotes flush out of urine, helping to reduce fluid buildup and lower high blood pressure.