BROCA APHASIA

Course overview

BROCA APHASIA IS A NON-FLUENT APHASIA IN WHICH THE OUTPUT OF SPONTANEOUS SPEECH IS MARKEDLY DIMINISHED AND THERE IS A LOSS OF NORMAL GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE. SPECIFICALLY, SMALL LINKING WORDS, CONJUNCTIONS, SUCH AS AND, OR, AND BUT, AND THE USE OF PREPOSITIONS ARE LOST. PATIENTS MAY EXHIBIT INTERJECTIONAL SPEECH WHERE THERE IS A LONG LATENCY, AND THE WORDS THAT ARE EXPRESSED ARE PRODUCED AS IF UNDER PRESSURE. THE ABILITY TO REPEAT PHRASES IS ALSO IMPAIRED IN PATIENTS WITH BROCA APHASIA. DESPITE THESE IMPAIRMENTS, THE WORDS THAT ARE PRODUCED ARE OFTEN INTELLIGIBLE AND CONTEXTUALLY CORRECT. IN PURE BROCA APHASIA, COMPREHENSION IS INTACT. PATIENTS WITH BROCA APHASIA ARE OFTEN VERY UPSET ABOUT THEIR DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING. THIS ACTIVITY EXAMINES WHEN BROCA APHASIA SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS AND THE WORKUP AND TREATMENT FOR THIS CONDITION. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.