Receptive aphasia

Receptive Aphasia

Receptive aphasia, also known as Wernicke's aphasia, is a type of aphasia characterized by impaired language comprehension, while speech production remains fluent.

Pronunciation

Receptive aphasia: /rɪˈsɛptɪv əˈfeɪziə/

Wernicke's aphasia: /ˈvɛrnɪkəz əˈfeɪziə/

Etymology

The term "receptive aphasia" is derived from the Latin receptivus meaning "able to receive," and the Greek aphasia meaning "speechlessness." "Wernicke's aphasia" is named after Carl Wernicke, a German neurologist who first described the condition in the late 19th century.

Definition

Receptive aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person's ability to understand written or spoken language, often caused by damage to the Wernicke's area of the brain. Individuals with receptive aphasia may have difficulty understanding spoken words, reading, or recognizing spoken language, even though their hearing is normal.

Symptoms

Symptoms of receptive aphasia can vary widely, but may include:

• Difficulty understanding spoken or written language
• Difficulty finding the right words to express oneself
• Using incorrect or nonsensical words
• Difficulty following conversations
• Difficulty reading or writing

Causes

Receptive aphasia is most commonly caused by stroke, but can also result from brain tumors, traumatic brain injury, or progressive neurological disorders. It is associated with damage to the Wernicke's area, located in the superior temporal gyrus in the dominant cerebral hemisphere, which is the left hemisphere in about 95% of right-handed individuals and 70% of left-handed individuals.

Treatment

Treatment for receptive aphasia typically involves speech and language therapy. The goal of therapy is to improve language comprehension and restore the ability to understand and use language as much as possible.

Related Terms

• Aphasia
• Wernicke's area
• Broca's aphasia
• Anomic aphasia
• Global aphasia
• Stroke
• Neurology

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Receptive aphasia
• Wikipedia's article - Receptive aphasia

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