Language: Aphasia

Aphasia is an impairment in speech and language following injury to the brain. It typically results from lesions in the peri-Sylvian regions of the left hemisphere. Depending on the brain regions affected, the pattern of speech and language deficits varies. The major classifications of aphasia include: Broca's aphasia, Wernicke's aphasia, conduction aphasia, global aphasia, anomic aphasia, and the transcortical aphasia. These aphasia types are distinguished by the pattern of deficits in fluency, comprehension, naming, and repetition. This article reviews the clinical, cognitive-linguistic, and neural correlates of these aphasia syndromes.