Author(s): James O Masko
Aphasia is an acquired language disease in which individuals exhibit deficits in different parts of their language system (i.e., phonological, morphological, semantic, syntactic, and/or pragmatic) in about one-third of stroke patients. Aphasia is not a single condition and can manifest itself differently in each individual. Even within the same patient, symptoms of aphasia can vary dramatically, especially in the first few weeks and months after a stroke. The specific profile of language impairments is determined by a number of factors, including the size and location of the stroke, the patient's health history (e.g., diabetes, prior stroke history), access to quality medical care, how quickly medical treatment was received after the stroke, and the time since the stroke. Furthermore, even minor kinds of aphasia can have a negative impact on patients' lives, such as job loss, social isolation, despair, and a decreased quality of life.
