LANGUAGE & THE APHASIAS
3 Processes of Language:
Receptive- getting info in primary receptive area
Integrative- integrating info (understanding) (“nuts and bolts”) Wernicke’s Area
Expressive- getting language out (speaking and writing) Broca’s area
Receptive Aphasias
pure word deafness- problems in relating incoming sounds and representations which
allow the understanding of discourse
-a verbal language deficit
-can hear sound but don’t decipher it as language (“voice comes,
but words do not come”)
-normal ability to read, write, and speak (can obey written
commands)
-BUT, cannot repeat verbal sentences, cannot obey verbal
commands
-involves damage to the left temporal damage (primary receptive
area)
Integrative Aphasias
Integrating- selecting and arranging meaningful units and their eventual conversion into
comprehensible, coherent speech
-these aphasias vary from extreme to mild symptoms depending on size of damage
Wernicke’s Aphasia
-aka jargon aphasia
-cannot understand verbal language
-they produce fluent, BUT meaningless speech (make “unintelligible statements”, but its
not really a word salad)
-harmony of language is still there, (still has grammar), “melody” of language is still
there, still sounds like language/speech
-in extreme cases, it sounds like another language
-damage to left temporal lobe
-usually cannot name an object very well, depends on severity (but they will say
something associated to the object, i.e. say shoe for foot)
-can use objects normally
-cannot obey commands
-very little comprehension
-usually cannot repeat verbal language unless it is a short and familiar “quip” (like “good
morning”)
-intelligence is low, make silly errors
-can sing, with correct words if really familiar, often with jargon instead but with correct
tune
-they can read aloud but not comprehend (so they can’t follow written instructions) -they can write but they write the same things they speak = jargon
-they are NOT aware that they have a problem
Nominal Aphasia
-aka Anomia
-angular gyrus damage (behind Wernicke’s Area)
-inability to name object (nouns)
-use a similar sounding word instead
-attempt circumlocution talking around something
-interestingly, they cannot think of the noun, but in English language, there are many
words that can be used as verbs OR nouns
-they can think of the verb and say it, but can’t think of the noun (ex. Show them a comb,
they say “oh, you can um use it to comb your hair”, then u ask “what is it?” and they
cannot say it’s a comb!)
-the easier the word, the more easily found
-they also have problems in abstraction (they can’t understand statements like “ppl in
glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”)
-often perseverate when they
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