What you need to know about aphasia

What do I need to know about aphasia?

People with aphasia may have difficulty speaking, writing, understanding and/or writing.

Aphasia:

• Is due to a brain lesion resulting from several causes, such as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), traumatic brain injury (TBI), a brain tumour, or a neurocognitive disorder (from which primary progressive aphasia results);
• Is not apparently noticeable. It is revealed when the person speaks or writes;
• Can be classified into two categories, fluent aphasia and non-fluent aphasia;
• Is characterized by certain symptoms such as speaking little and slowly, searching for words, difficulty understanding;
• May be accompanied by other issues, such as difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) or problems with body movements and everyday activities (apraxia);
• Comes with consequences, including a tendency to isolate, reduced participation in social activities, a reluctance to interact and an impact on the ability to work. The quality of life of those affected and those around them is affected.

In Québec, 20,000 people suffer from aphasia, and 6,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

Diagnosis and treatment

A person with language difficulties is generally referred to a speech therapist, who carries out a brief assessment. If rehabilitation is indicated, the speech therapist will begin treatment until the person is admitted to a rehabilitation centre.

At the rehabilitation centre:

• The patient is cared for by a multidisciplinary team including doctors, psychologists, speech therapists, kinesiologists, occupational therapists and social workers;
• The speech therapist conducts an in-depth assessment of all aspects of language to identify any difficulties and any skills that have been preserved;
• An intervention plan aimed at re-establishing functional communication is drawn up. It takes into account communication habits prior to aphasia. For example, if a person placed a great deal of importance on the written word, rehabilitation will focus on this aspect.

During and/or after rehabilitation, it is recommended that people with aphasia be referred to support organizations and that those close to them be informed about communication issues and the appropriate attitudes to adopt.

Questions and possible solutions

Following a stroke, my brother has much more difficulty understanding than speaking. This requires an enormous amount of effort on my part…

Yes, this is one form of aphasia. You can try using short, simple sentences. If your brother doesn’t understand, try rephrasing the sentence and speaking slowly. Your patience is being sorely tested; talk openly with your brother about the situation and don’t hesitate to discuss communication strategies with his speech therapist.

My daughter’s time at the rehabilitation centre is over. I’m a bit scared about this new phase… What do we do now?

The multidisciplinary team at the rehabilitation centre may have told you about activities to help your daughter reintegrate into society. Theatre? Dance? Group outings? There are many possibilities.

How can you differentiate between aphasia and dementia?

In the case of aphasia, symptoms appear suddenly, often after a stroke. In the case of dementia, the onset of the disease is more discreet and gradual, and it is often those close to the person who notice the communication difficulties before the person themself. With dementia, the symptoms worsen. In the case of aphasia, with rehabilitation, there is generally an improvement in communication skills.