AphasiaWhat is aphasia?Aphasia is the impairment of spoken or written language caused by damage to the brain. It is also commonly called dysphasia. There are several categories and many different types of aphasia. What are the causes of aphasia? Aphasia is usually the result of a brain tumor, injury, stroke, or severe blow to the head. Right-handed people can acquire aphasia only if they have a lesion in the left cerebral hemisphere, while left-handers can acquire aphasia from a lesion in the right or left cerebral hemisphere. Therefore, left-handed people are more prone to get aphasia. Categories of aphasia There are several systems for classifying aphasia. The most common one consists of two broad classifications: Broca and Wernicks. In Broca syndrome, the patient normally understands speech quite well, but has difficulty remembering words and therefore must name objects or express himself. In Wernickes syndrome, the patient normally produces fluent but incomprehensible speech, or jargon, and poorly understands the speech of others. other systems place all types of aphasia into categories labeled fluent and nonfluent. In fluent, the patient usually has a normal speaking rate with no hesitations or pauses common in nonfluent. Generally, people whose aphasia type falls into the fluent category have difficulty understanding speech. In nonfluency, the patient usually produces labored, telegraphic-style speech characterized by pauses. These patients' ability to understand speech is generally good. Types of Aphasia There are many different types of aphasia. Some of them are: Global aphasia: This is the most severe form of A...... middle of paper...... remembers some automatic responses, such as naming the days of the week, counting, and social responses, such as please and thank you. The most common feature in aphasia is difficulty naming. Statistics Approximately one million people in the United States suffer from aphasia. Most of these people develop the disease due to a stroke. About a third of people with serious head injuries suffer from them. It is estimated that approximately 80,000 people worldwide contract aphasia each year. Most people who suffer from it are in their mid to late years, although anyone can. History of Aphasia The first written references to speechlessness due to trauma can be found in the writings of the ancient Greek philosopher Hypocrites. It has only been in the last 20 years that scientists have been able to carry out productive research into aphasia and its origins.