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Updated July 1999 |
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What is global aphasia? |
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Global aphasia is an acquired
language disorder involving severe impairments in both comprehension and production. |
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What causes global aphasia? |
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It is caused by injuries to
language-processing areas of the brain, notably Wernicke's and Broca's areas. Most
often, the injuries are the result of a large middle-cerebral-artery stroke. |
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What are its symptoms? |
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The symptoms of global aphasia
reflect processing difficulties in Wernicke's and Broca's areas. These areas would
ordinarily assign words and meanings, string words together, and complete other word-based
tasks. Thus, the symptoms of global aphasia are impairments in all aspects of word-based
communication -- reading, writing, speaking, and understanding speech. |
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The exact symptoms vary from
individual to individual. For example, some globally aphasic persons do not understand
speech at all, while others recognize familiar personal names and are able to follow
whole-body commands. Similarly, some individuals are mute, while others can produce a few
sounds (e.g., "ta, ta") or stereotypic phrases (e.g., "we said").
While no aspect of language is functional, certain aspects may be more impaired than
others. |
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Do other conditions accompany
global aphasia? |
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Yes, particularly if the brain
injuries extend beyond Wernicke's and Broca's areas. Accompanying conditions include hemiplegia
(paralysis on one side of the body), facial apraxia (difficulty coordinating facial
movements), and emotional lability
(difficulty regulating emotions). |
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Depression is another condition
that is associated with global aphasia. Feelings of sadness may result directly from the
brain injuries; they may also be a response to the loss of abilities. |
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How is this disorder diagnosed
and evaluated? |
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Aphasias are diagnosed and
evaluated through testing, which may involve asking the person to name objects, answer
questions, and follow commands. Often, the first test is administered by a physician who
suspects aphasia. Further tests are usually administered by a speech/language pathologist,
a professional who is trained to identify the type of aphasia and assess remaining
language skills. |
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A specialized instrument known as
the Boston Assessment of Severe Aphasia (BASA) may be used during the evaluation.
BASA is designed to be administered to individuals who have severe language impairments
and facial apraxia. |
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Are therapies available for
global aphasia? |
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Yes. A speech/language pathologist
may employ a variety of methods to help the person communicate. [Ed. note: Computer-assisted speech
therapy can be quite effective, convenient and economical. Product descriptions and free demos of Bungalow
Software's aphasia therapy programs are available online. Programs were developed and
tested by a speech therapist. ] |
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Therapy should begin as soon as
possible, and it should be expected to be long term: Global aphasics tend to make gains
later than other aphasics. |
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How can I communicate with
someone who has this disorder? |
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Communicating with a globally
aphasic person requires us to reduce our reliance on complex speech. Fortunately,
communication does not require word-packed sentences. Consider the four general strategies
below. |
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Tactile Strategy -- Use
touch to gain the person's attention and to show your support. |
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Visual Strategy -- Use
simple gestures and facial expressions. Take advantage of visual cues that have been
learned in therapy. |
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Simplified-Speech Strategy
-- First, minimize distractions. Then, speak slowly, using simple words, in a tone that is
appropriate for the person's maturity level. Allow more time for responses, and try to let
the person speak for himself or herself. |
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Combination Strategy --
Reinforce your speech with other communication methods. You can, for example, couple a
visual "Hello" with the greeting, and point to objects as you talk about them.
By reinforcing your speech, you may be helping the person to make associations that he or
she will use in the future. |
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Acknowledgments |
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Many thanks to speech/language
pathologist Terri Nichols and software specialist Clay Nichols for their expert assistance
with this fact sheet. Terri and Clay create aphasia-therapy programs at
Bungalow Software. |
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This article was reprinted with permission from the
Stroke Information Directory. Visit it to see this and many other excellent
articles. |
