Testing a Person With Aphasia
What Type of Aphasia | What the Person Has Trouble Doing | What the Doctor Might Ask | How a Person With Aphasia Might Answer* |
|---|---|---|---|
Broca aphasia | Answers to questions are given hesitantly but are sensible. | “What is this a picture of?” (dog barking) | "D—d—d—dg, eh, no...d-d... damn...p-p-pet, yeah, yeah, pet, pet, pet...b—b—...makes noise.” |
Wernicke aphasia | Answers to questions are given fluently but are nonsensical. | “How are you today?” | “When? Easy for my river runs black boxes wizzel abata on when boobles come.” |
Conduction aphasia | Words, phrases, and sentences spoken or written by others cannot be repeated, and people often use the wrong words, although they can speak fluently. | Repeat the following: “No ifs, ands, or buts about it.” | “No nifs nand nor but...” |
Anomia | Naming things is difficult. | “What is this?” (pointing to a jacket lapel, watch band, or pen) | “What you wear, thing for time, you write with it." |
* Doctors can usually identify the type of aphasia based on how the person answers a few questions. The answers listed are typical for people who have a specific type of aphasia. | |||