Wernicke's aphasia

Wernicke's Aphasia

Wernicke's aphasia, also known as receptive aphasia, sensory aphasia, or posterior aphasia, is a type of aphasia characterized by impaired language comprehension and fluid, but nonsensical speech. It is named after Carl Wernicke, a German neurologist who first described the condition in the late 19th century.

Pronunciation

Wernicke's aphasia: /ˈvɛr.nɪ.kəz əˈfeɪ.ʒə/

Etymology

The term "Wernicke's aphasia" is derived from the name of Carl Wernicke, who first described the condition, and the Greek word "aphasia" (ἀφασία), meaning "speechlessness".

Definition

Wernicke's aphasia is a neurological disorder caused by damage to the posterior part of the cerebrum, specifically in the Wernicke's area, which is responsible for understanding spoken and written language. Individuals with this condition often have fluent and grammatically correct speech, but their utterances lack meaning and they have difficulty understanding spoken and written language.

Symptoms

Symptoms of Wernicke's aphasia include:

• Fluent, but nonsensical or jumbled speech
• Difficulty understanding spoken and written language
• Difficulty finding the right words
• Use of invented or irrelevant words
• Poor auditory verbal comprehension

Related Terms

• Aphasia: A general term for a class of neurological disorders affecting language comprehension and expression.
• Broca's aphasia: Another type of aphasia, characterized by difficulty with speech production but relatively preserved comprehension.
• Neurology: The branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the nervous system.
• Cerebrum: The largest part of the brain, involved in higher brain function such as thought and action.

See Also

• Global aphasia
• Anomic aphasia
• Conduction aphasia
• Alexia
• Agraphia

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Wernicke's aphasia
• Wikipedia's article - Wernicke's aphasia

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