Untitled Flashcards Set

• Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) – The medical term for stroke. Can be one of two types: ischemic or hemorrhagic.

• Coup/contrecoup – In a TBI, when the brain moves in a “back and forth” manner causing damage first at the site of impact, then a secondary injury occurs in the opposite direction.

• Anomia – Difficulty coming up with the words you want to say.

• Open head injury – Traumatic Brain Injury that penetrates into the scalp, skull, and meninges.

• Paraphasia – These are sound and word substitutions a person makes when they have aphasia. They usually occur in someone who has fluent speech.

• Broca’s Area – Part of the brain that is related to programming the motor movements for speech; damage here would cause expressive speech and language problems.

• Dementia – An impairment of short- and long-term memory with related changes in abstract thinking, judgment, and personality that causes significant social and occupational impairment.

• Sensorineural Hearing Loss – Hearing loss associated with a problem in the cochlea and/or auditory nerve that prevents sound from being transferred to the auditory portion of the brain.

• Neologism – Words made up by patients with aphasia. They use them as though everyone understands them.

• Wernicke’s Area – Part of the brain that is primarily responsible for comprehension of language and the formulation of language concepts.

• Conductive hearing loss – Hearing loss caused by problems in the outer or middle ear that inhibit the transmission of sound from the environment to the inner ear.

• Aphasia – The loss of the ability to comprehend or formulate language typically associated with neurological damage. May impact all aspects of language (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).

• Right Hemisphere Disorder – Language is intact, primary deficits are communication, attention/perception, cognition.

• Perseveration – Unintentional repetition of a word, sound, or movement.

• Traumatic Brain Injury – Damage to the brain that is externally induced

1. What are the 3 main parts of the ear composed of?

• Outer (external) Ear

• The Middle Ear

• The Inner Ear

2. Who is more likely to get ear infections and why?

• Children are more likely to get ear infections because their Eustachian tubes are shorter, more horizontal, and narrower than adults'. This makes it easier for fluid to build up in the middle ear, which can lead to infections.

3. What artery provides blood (and therefore oxygen) to all the language areas in the brain?

• The Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA) provides blood and oxygen to critical language areas, including Broca’s Area and Wernicke’s Area.

4. What are the characteristics of Wernicke’s Aphasia?

• Where is the damage?

  • Damage occurs in Wernicke's Area, typically located in the left posterior part of the temporal lobe.

• What is the primary problem? Is it expressive (talking) or receptive (understanding)?

  • The primary problem is receptive (understanding) language. People with Wernicke's aphasia have difficulty comprehending spoken or written language.

• Is their speech fluent or nonfluent?

  • Their speech is fluent but often nonsensical and filled with paraphasias (word substitutions). They may also create neologisms (made-up words).

• What else stands out about this type?

  • They often don't realize their speech is difficult to understand and may have poor awareness of their language deficits.

5. What are the characteristics of Global Aphasia?

• Where is the damage?

  • Damage is widespread, typically affecting both Broca’s Area and Wernicke’s Area, often caused by a large cerebrovascular accident (CVA).

• What is the primary problem? Is it expressive (talking) or receptive (understanding)?

  • Both expressive and receptive language are severely impaired. Individuals with global aphasia have difficulty with both speaking and understanding language.

• What else stands out about this type?

  • It is the most severe form of aphasia, and individuals with global aphasia may have minimal speech output, often just a few words or sounds.

6. What are the characteristics of Broca’s Aphasia?

• Where is the damage?

  • Damage occurs in Broca’s Area, which is located in the left frontal lobe.

• What is the primary problem? Is it expressive (talking) or receptive (understanding)?

  • The primary problem is expressive language. People with Broca’s aphasia have difficulty producing speech, but their comprehension is relatively intact.

• Is their speech fluent or nonfluent?

  • Their speech is nonfluent, meaning it is slow and effortful. They often omit small function words (e.g., "is," "the," "and") and may have agrammatism.

• What else stands out about this type?

  • Individuals are often aware of their language deficits and may become frustrated by their inability to communicate.

7. Describe the primary deficits associated with a Right Hemisphere Disorder.

• Communication: Difficulty understanding non-literal language (e.g., sarcasm, metaphors).

• Attention/Perception: Problems with attention to the left side of the body (hemispatial neglect), difficulty perceiving and organizing visual-spatial information.

• Cognition: Problems with executive functions, including planning, problem-solving, and impulse control.

8. Name some causes of TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).

• Car accidents, sports injuries, falls, assaults, and gunshot wounds are common causes of TBI.

9. Who is most at risk for sustaining a traumatic brain injury?

• Young children (due to accidents), adolescents/young adults (due to sports and risky behaviors), and older adults (due to falls) are most at risk.

10. What are some of the deficits that may occur due to a TBI?

• Cognitive impairments (e.g., memory, attention, executive functions), language deficits (e.g., aphasia), motor problems (e.g., difficulty with movement and coordination), and behavioral changes (e.g., impulsivity, irritability).

11. Can you describe aphasia?

• Aphasia is a language disorder caused by neurological damage (e.g., stroke, TBI). It affects a person's ability to comprehend, produce, and formulate language. It can impact speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

12. Does aphasia affect a person’s intelligence? Yes or No.

• No. Aphasia does not affect a person’s intelligence; it only affects language abilities. People with aphasia can still have normal cognitive function.

13. What is the main characteristic of Anomic Aphasia?

• The main characteristic of Anomic Aphasia is difficulty finding words, especially nouns. Speech is generally fluent, but the person may frequently pause or use circumlocution (describing the word they can’t find).

14. How does sound change as it travels from the air to the ear?

• Outer ear = Acoustic energy

• Middle ear = Mechanical energy

• Inner ear = Hydraulic energy

• From inner ear to brain = Electrical energy

15. What are the goals when performing newborn hearing screenings?

• The goal is to identify hearing loss early so that intervention can occur as soon as possible, facilitating optimal language development and communication skills.

Label the different language areas of the brain and describe the roles they play in speech and language:

• Broca’s Area = Located in the frontal lobe, it is responsible for speech production, including motor planning for speech movements.

• Wernicke’s Area = Located in the temporal lobe, it is responsible for language comprehension and the formulation of language concepts.

• Arcuate Fasciculus = A bundle of nerve fibers connecting Broca’s Area and Wernicke’s Area, allowing for communication between the areas for fluent speech production.

• Primary Motor Cortex = Located in the frontal lobe, it is responsible for motor control of the muscles involved in speech production (e.g., the tongue, lips, and vocal cords).