Aphasia: Symptoms & Types
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Medically reviewed by Michael Menna, DO
Each person's experience with aphasia—a language disorder—can look a little different. Aphasia symptoms include difficulties understanding and communicating with others through reading, writing, and speaking. Most people who develop this condition sustain some damage or injury in the areas of the brain that control language processing, which leads to the onset of symptoms.
How long it takes for symptoms to appear can also vary. For example, those who experience stroke typically develop symptoms more quickly than those who have aphasia due to a tumor or dementia. That's why knowing the symptoms and learning when to seek medical care can benefit you or a loved one.
Common Aphasia Symptoms
The different types of aphasia can vary in symptoms. That said, all types of aphasia have some symptoms in common. These may include:
Difficulty saying words or completing sentences
Difficulty understanding people when they speak
Having a hard time with reading, writing, doing simple math, or following directions
Needing to pause to think about the next word
Not being able to use the right word for specific items or places (e.g., thinking about a spoon but saying knife)
Slurred speech or garbled sounds
Using simplified sentences (e.g., saying “I eat” instead of “I want to eat”)
Aphasia Types and Symptoms
Symptoms can also vary among types of aphasia. There are four main types: Broca's aphasia, Wernicke's aphasia, anomic aphasia, and global aphasia.
Broca's Aphasia
Broca's aphasia is a type of aphasia that occurs when a person can mostly understand speech and language but has difficulty speaking. The most common cause of Broca's aphasia is a stroke that causes injury to Broca's area—a part of the brain that is involved in speech function. Damage in this area disrupts communication between a person's thoughts and words.
Broca's aphasia symptoms can include the following:
Experiencing paralysis or muscle weakness on the right side of their face or body
Feeling frustrated about not being able to express speech to others
Having the ability to read but having difficulty writing
Pausing for long periods to search for their next word
Speaking in short sentences and forgetting to use conjunction or linking words (e.g., "I go walk" instead of "I would like to go on a walk")
Trouble speaking and constructing sentences
Wernicke's Aphasia
People with Wernicke's aphasia have a hard time understanding language and speech. The cause of this type of aphasia is damage to Wernicke's area—a part of the brain that supports your ability to understand language.
Those who experience Wernicke's aphasia may display the following symptoms:
Being able to hear what people say and read words on a page but not being able to understand the words and what they mean
Forgetting or mixing up words (e.g., saying "circle" when they mean "ball")
Making up words or adding unnecessary words to sentences
Speaking in sentences or phrases that don't make sense
Anomic Aphasia
Anomic aphasia is a milder form of aphasia that can occur as a result of injury to the left side of your brain. If you're left-handed, however, injury on the right side of your brain can also lead to the condition.
It's important to note that people with anomic aphasia don't lose their ability to understand language or have trouble speaking. Instead, people with this type of aphasia may experience problems with language, such as:
Difficulty remembering specific words for places, people, and things
Feeling like they have a word on the tip of their tongue
Forgetting to use nouns or verbs in their sentences
Global Aphasia
Global aphasia is the most severe form of the disease, causing almost complete loss of speech, trouble understanding language, and the inability to read or write. People with this type of aphasia are often mute and cannot follow directions or communicate with others.
The most common causes of this type are a severe stroke or a significant brain injury that causes damage to both Broca and Wernicke's areas and their surrounding networks in the brain. Those with this type tend to develop aphasia symptoms almost immediately after experiencing a stroke or brain injury.
When To See a Healthcare Provider
If you or a loved one are experiencing any significant changes in communicating or understanding conversations on a day-to-day basis, it's good practice to see a healthcare provider as soon as possible. You should reach out to a healthcare provider or contact your loved one's provider if you notice gradual onset of any of the following:
Difficulty understanding speech, reading words, or speaking
Having a hard time thinking about the words to use
Saying the wrong words or having trouble structuring sentences
It's essential also to seek care from a healthcare provider if you or a loved one experiences a stroke, brain injury, concussion, or other trauma to the head—as these can lead to the onset of aphasia symptoms.
A Quick Review
There are four common types of aphasia: Broca's aphasia, Wernicke's aphasia, anomic aphasia, and global aphasia. Each condition can produce its own subset of symptoms. The exact symptoms you or a loved one experience will depend on the damaged part of the brain and the injury's severity.
Seeing a healthcare provider when you or a loved one notices a sudden change in your ability to understand or communicate speech is imperative. A healthcare provider can help get you or your loved one a proper diagnosis and offer treatment options to improve the condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can people with aphasia communicate?
Some people with certain types of aphasia can still communicate. People with Broca’s or anomic aphasia may have difficulty communicating, such as using short sentences or forgetting words mid-sentence. However, people with global aphasia typically lose their communication ability altogether.
Can a person recover from aphasia?
There is no cure for aphasia. In some cases, symptoms can improve on their own or with the help of treatment to improve communication skills. How much a person can recover depends on the type of brain injury they sustained, where the injury happened, and the person’s age and health when the injury occurred.
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