Speech-language disorders in stroke treatment aims to reactivate the speech center affected by the stroke.
Speech-language disorders in stroke treatment are planned by a speech-language disorders specialist.
Aphasia; It is a language and speech disorder that occurs as a result of physical damage or paralysis to all or some of the parts of the brain responsible for language and speech. Aphasia is an acquired language disorder due to a brain disease.
Content of Aphasia: The concept of language includes spoken and written language functions. These are; speaking, comprehension, repetition, naming, reading and writing.
What is the Relationship between Aphasia and the Brain?
Aphasia is a brain syndrome. An important feature in the organization of language functions in the brain is that the left brain half has a dominant role in language compared to the right. We have known this feature in the brain for about 160 years. Because of this relationship, various factors affecting the left half of the brain cause aphasia.
What are the most common causes of aphasia?
The most common cause of aphasia is stroke. The brain is a very vascularized organ. Because of this feature, strokes take the first place among neurological diseases. For this reason, occlusive and hemorrhagic strokes involving the vessels that irrigate the linguistic areas in the left half of the brain cause aphasia very frequently. There is a very close relationship between the anatomy of the vessels and language areas. For example, the language areas involved in speech, comprehension, reading and writing are directly intertwined with the vessels. Therefore, whichever blood vessel is affected in the left half, a different aphasia occurs with the language area in the irrigation area of that blood vessel being affected.
What are the Symptoms of Aphasia?
The main symptoms are
- Difficulty in speaking
- Difficulty in naming
- Difficulty understanding
- Difficulty in reading and writing
- It can be listed as using strange and inappropriate words in speech.
What are the Types of Aphasia?
There are three main types of aphasia. These are Motor Aphasia, Sensory Aphasia and Total Aphasia. Motor Aphasia is a type of aphasia in which speech is lost and comprehension is relatively preserved. Patients here have difficulty producing speech but generally understand what is said. Sensory Aphasia is a type of aphasia in which speech is free but confused and comprehension is significantly affected. Total Aphasia is considered to be the sum of the two types of aphasia.
The symptoms of aphasia types vary. Common types are:
Arrested Aphasia: People with this type of aphasia know what they want to say but have difficulty expressing their ideas and communicating with others. The expression "It's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't say it" is used for this type. Retention is seen in both written and verbal communication.
Fluent Aphasia: People with this type of aphasia have difficulties in making sense even though they can hear and read well. They often perceive words only in their literal meaning, regardless of how and where they are used. Fluent speech is present but meaningful production is very limited.
Anomic Aphasia (fluent): These patients speak fluently and clearly but have difficulty with naming. Although they do not have problems in perception, they cannot name objects or
They have difficulty remembering the word they want to use. They also have difficulty in verbal and written expression.
Global Aphasia: This is the most severe form of aphasia. It is usually seen immediately after a person has had a stroke. People with this type of aphasia not only have difficulty speaking and understanding but also lose their reading and writing skills.
Progressive Aphasia: In progressive aphasia, which is a rare type of aphasia, people gradually lose their ability to speak, read, write and understand. Patients begin to prefer to use alternative ways of communication such as hand signals or gestures. Aphasia can be mild or severe. People with mild aphasia can talk and converse but may have difficulty finding words or understanding complex speech. Severe aphasia, on the other hand, greatly affects a person's ability to communicate, and patients have serious difficulties in communicating effectively or understanding what is being said.How Aphasia is Diagnosed:Aphasia is highly likely to occur after a stroke, brain injury or tumor. Aphasic condition can be identified after neurological examination. In the process, the diagnosis is finalized as a result of the evaluation of language and speech skills.
How is it treated?
- Treatment may vary depending on certain factors:
- Age of the patient
- The cause of brain damage
- Aphasia type
- Location and size of the lesion
Speech and language therapy practices help alleviate symptoms in individuals with aphasia. The therapies aim at communication rehabilitation by using intervention techniques to help patients improve their speech and communication skills. Therapies include many speech and language production activities aimed at cognitive improvement. With the techniques applied, it is aimed that the patients regain the language and speech abilities to communicate healthily. Recovery from aphasias is cause-dependent. Recovery is slow in occlusive strokes. In hemorrhagic strokes, it varies according to the extent of bleeding. Among aphasia types, the fastest recovery is sensory aphasia and the slowest recovery is total aphasia.
Which branches does Speech and Language Disorders in Stroke Center cooperate with?
It mainly works together with radiology, cardiology, internal medicine/endocrinology and physical therapy departments.
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