From the Guidelines
Expressive aphasia, also known as Broca's aphasia, is a language disorder characterized by difficulty producing speech despite understanding what others say, and the other main aphasia related to stroke is receptive aphasia, or Wernicke's aphasia, which affects language comprehension. The effects of these motor speech disorders after stroke can have a significant impact on social participation and quality of life, as noted in the guidelines for adult stroke rehabilitation and recovery from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association 1. Some key characteristics of expressive aphasia include:
- Difficulty producing speech
- Understanding what others say is intact
- Speech is often in short, simplified phrases with great effort
- Omitting small connecting words, resulting in "telegraphic speech" On the other hand, receptive aphasia, or Wernicke's aphasia, is characterized by:
- Fluent speech that lacks meaning
- Contains made-up words or is incoherent
- Difficulty understanding others' speech Both types of aphasia can significantly impact communication and daily functioning, though speech therapy, including communication partner training and intensive treatment, is recommended for individuals with aphasia 1. It is also important to note that the psychosocial impact of a motor speech disorder is disproportionate to the severity of the physiological impairment, highlighting the need for comprehensive rehabilitation and support 1.