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The Mystery of Language Loss: Why Does Brain Injury Cause Aphasia?
Language is everywhere in our lives, whether in conversations with friends or recorded in written form. Language shapes the way we think and builds connections between us and others. However, when the brain is injured, this ability can be affected and lead to the development of aphasia. Aphasia is caused by damage to specific areas of the brain that affects an individual's ability to understand or express language. Damage to the brain can be caused by things like stroke or head trauma, and for those who have experienced such an injury, many of life's normal interactions can be challenging.
Aphasia may make it difficult for some people to find the right words. However, their intelligence was not affected.
Main causes of aphasia
The development of aphasia is mainly related to stroke and head injury. Statistically, about one in four stroke patients will develop aphasia. In addition, brain tumors, epilepsy, progressive neurological diseases, etc. may also cause aphasia. The extent and location of the damage will also directly affect the manifestation of symptoms. In some cases, such as neuropathy or chronic illness, language-related cognitive biases can also occur.
Signs and symptoms of aphasia
The symptoms of aphasia vary depending on the part of the brain that is damaged. Some people may have difficulty finding the name of an object, for example when asked about a pencil they may describe it as "something to write with" rather than name it. Such conditions indicate that both language production and comprehension may be affected, affecting functional communication abilities.
Some common behaviors include self-correction, non-fluent speech, and preserved and automatic language use.
Cognitive deficits in aphasia
In addition to impairments in language abilities, many people with aphasia also experience non-verbal cognitive deficits, such as attention, memory, and executive functions. Research shows that these cognitive deficits may be potential triggers of language disorders, making speech production and comprehension more difficult. For example, patients often experience greater challenges with language-specific tasks such as naming, word processing, and sentence comprehension.
Diagnosis of aphasia
Diagnosing aphasia often requires the use of neuroimaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). These tools can help professionals determine the specific circumstances of language impairment and the location of the impairment. Unfortunately, the accuracy of these diagnostic tools may be limited in some cases for people with aphasia caused by stroke or trauma.
Aphasia is a huge group, including different symptoms of fluent and non-fluent types, and the specific situation of each patient is different.
Treatment of aphasia
Once diagnosed, treatment for aphasia focuses on language reconstruction and cognitive rehabilitation. Using specific speech therapy techniques, patients can gradually regain their speech abilities. While the process can be challenging, research shows that appropriate treatment can significantly improve a patient's ability to communicate.
Aphasia and quality of life
Aphasia has a profound impact on patients’ quality of life. According to research, a patient's degree of cognitive impairment is closely related to quality of life, even more so than the speech disorder itself. Therefore, interventions that target these cognitive deficits may help improve patients' living conditions.
Looking back at the past, we promoted the development of language, but when language disappears, can we regain the lost communication ability?
