Language is one of the most effective communication tools that provide agreement between individuals. Thanks to language, people can convey their feelings, thoughts and ideas to the other side. They can receive a feedback from the other party. When we look at the elements that make up the language, we come across a system of verbal and non-verbal rules.
In the use of language; Difficulties in conveying our feelings, thoughts and wishes to the other side and perceiving communicative signals from the other side cause language disorders. Aphasia is also in the class of acquired language disorder.
Aphasia is a result of damage to speech centers in the brain (stroke). Aphasia; It may be accompanied by attention deficit, memory problems, some motor speech disorders (apraxia, dysphagia), swallowing disorders (dysphagia). Individuals with aphasia may have difficulties in planning, performing simple activities, solving problems, making decisions, communicating and maintaining communication.
In Which Situations Aphasia Occurs?
The most common event that causes aphasia is “stroke”. Damage to the brain, usually caused by a blockage in the cerebral vessels or the lack of sufficient oxygen to the brain after bleeding, causes aphasia. Other causes of brain damage include brain infections, brain tumors, and other adverse conditions affecting the brain. Traumatic brain injuries, tumor formation, or some neurological Aphasia can also be seen after diseases.
Aphasia Occurs When Which Region of the Brain is Affected?
Our brain consists of two hemispheres, the left and right hemispheres. Each hemisphere has some tasks. The left hemisphere is predominantly responsible for language and speech skills in almost all right-handers and most of the left-handers. Individuals with normal development and no problems in language and speech skills may develop aphasia after an obstruction or bleeding in the left hemisphere.
What are the Symptoms of Language and Speech Difficulties in Aphasia?
Individuals with aphasia are affected at different levels in language components (language comprehension, speaking, repetition, reading and writing).
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Strong speech and speech difficulties,
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Difficulty finding contextual words in communication
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Naming problems,
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Difficulty understanding spoken language ,
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Repetition problems,
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Difficulty in reading and writing are some of these symptoms.
These symptoms may vary depending on the type of aphasia.
What are the Types of Aphasia?
Aphasia is examined under two headings.
Arrested Aphasia
Individuals with arrest aphasia usually know what they want to say. They have difficulty communicating with other people in expressing their thoughts. In these cases, individuals with aphasia often use the sentence "On the tip of my tongue, but it does not come."
Fluent Aphasia
With a person with fluent aphasia, they can understand and read the language. However, they have difficulties in making sense of the language. Most of the time, they perceive words only with their literal meanings and may have difficulty in understanding metaphors and connotations. They can speak fluently. They are less likely to make a meaningful production and speak appropriately to the context while communicating.
Global Aphasia
Individuals with global aphasia stand out as the most severe type of aphasia. Global aphasia can be seen immediately after the individual in question suffers a stroke. Individuals with global aphasia have difficulties in speaking and understanding. Reading and writing difficulties are also observed.
How Long Does Aphasia Treatment Take?
The duration of therapy varies depending on many factors. For example, in some cases, language skills can be regained in a few hours and/or a few days. Spontaneous recovery can be seen depending on the blood flow to the brain. Gradual recovery may take more than two years. In some studies, it is also among the risk factors that aphasia may be permanent.
What are the Factors Affecting Recovery in Aphasia?
Factors affecting recovery in aphasia can be listed as follows:
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Brain area where the damage occurred,
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Prevalence of brain damage,
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Patient's gender,
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Patient's age,
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Patient's general health status,
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Motivation of the patient,
In addition to these, individual differences also affect the treatment. For example; Among these individual differences are features such as pre-illness level of intelligence, education level of the individual and communication skills.
Significant successes can be achieved in the treatment processes of individuals with aphasia. Speech and language therapy, in particular, plays an important role in the treatment of aphasia. It is extremely important to receive professional speech and language therapy support in this process, as it covers a period of rapid development during the first 6-12 months after brain damage occurs.
How Is Aphasia Diagnosed?
Aphasia is usually first noticed by the physician (neurologist) treating the person who has had a brain injury. If the physician suspects the presence of aphasia after a brief bedside evaluation, they refer the case to a Speech and Language Therapist (DKT) for further evaluation of language, speech and communication skills. Speech and language therapist evaluates the language skills of the case such as 'spontaneous speech, auditory comprehension, repetition, naming, reading and writing' in detail, and applies an aphasia test to the case to prepare an appropriate therapy program. Besides grammatical skills of people with aphasia, motor speech disorders, swallowing disorders disorders and their ability to use alternative and supportive communication systems are also evaluated.
What to Do in Speech and Language Therapy in Aphasia?
In informal tests and evaluation sessions before aphasia therapies The individual's language skills, auditory comprehension and spontaneous speaking, naming, repetition, reading and writing skills are evaluated in detail. The individual has difficulties areas are determined. Speech and language therapists try to increase the existing skills of the patients and provide improvement in the fields of communication, language and speech. Our aim in speech and language therapy is to identify the areas of difficulty and overcome the communication and speech problem with therapy methods suitable for the individual.
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