Aphasia Types

Aphasia Types

1. Fluent

   • comprehends language
     • can repeat back
       • Anomic Aphasia
         • Word finding is the main issue—generally other language functions are not impaired Generally fluent speech Circumlocution  Use of vague/non-specific words No impairment of pointing to named objects
     • Can't repeat
       • Conduction aphasia
         • Defining characteristic: poor repetition Word finding difficulties Rare Generally less fluent than Wernicke’s Paraphasic speech Writing issues common Good syntax, artic, prosody Bucofacial apraxia
   • comprehension reduced
     • can repeat back
       • Transcortical SENSORY Aphasia
         • Fluent speech with normal phrase length, prosody, artic, grammar, syntax Poor comprehension of repeated words Echolalia of grammatically incorrect forms (nonsense words/sounds) Spared automatic speech Good reading out loud, but poor comprehension Generally better oral reading skills than other language skills
     • Can't repeat
       • Wernike's aphasia
         • -Effortlessly produced speech with normal phrase length  -Rapid rate of speech with normal articulation  -Intact grammatical structures -Severe word finding  -Paraphasic speech containing semantic and phonemic paraphasias -Circumlocution -Empty speech -Paresis and paralysis is uncommon

2. Non fluent

   • comprehends language
     • can repeat back
       • Transcortical MOTOR Aphasia
         • SPEECH: -Absent/reduced spontaneous speech -Agrammatic, paraphasic, perseverative  -Attempts to initiate speech with help of motor activities (e.g. clapping)  LITERACY -Slow/difficulty reading out loud -Impaired writing OTHER May have motor disorders of the upper extremities—akinesia, bradykinesia, hemiparesis
     • can't repeat
       • Brocas
         • SPEECH -Effortful, halting, uneven speech -Limited word output -Agrammatic speech (e.g. limited to nouns/verbs, with omission of articles, conjunctions, prepositions)  OTHER May have right sided paralysis/paresis May have apraxia or dysarthria
   • Can't comprehend
     • can repeat back
       • MIXED Transcortical Aphasia
         • -Somewhat rare -Limited spontaneous speech -Severe echolalia  -Mostly unimpaired automatic speech  -Severely impaired reading, reading comprehension and writing
     • Can't repeat
       • Global Aphasia
         • Most severe  -Profoundly impaired language, no significant profile of differential skills  -Expressions limited to a few words, serial utterances