Many seniors experience dementia as they age, resulting in confusion, memory loss, and challenges in performing daily tasks. When aphasia is added to these challenges, individuals may feel progressively isolated and annoyed, unable to convey their thoughts or needs.
It can be disheartening for families to watch their loved ones struggling with communication. Let’s discuss what aphasia is, how it manifests in patients with dementia, and the various forms of aphasia.
What is Aphasia?
Aphasia is a condition that influences an individual’s capacity to use and comprehend language. For people experiencing aphasia and dementia, even the simplest tasks of speaking, reading, or writing can become extremely challenging. It typically occurs following brain damage, commonly due to a stroke or injury. This damage impacts the brain regions responsible for speech and language.
Individuals with this condition may find it challenging to recall the right words or form sentences. They may also have difficulty grasping spoken or written communication. They might hear someone talking but struggle to comprehend what is being said.
How Aphasia Manifests in Dementia?
People with dementia might develop aphasia as the disease progresses. In the early stages of dementia, aphasia may be barely noticeable. The individual may struggle to find the correct words or constantly repeat them. These small language issues might grow with time, and a drop in language ability may become more noticeable.
As dementia affects multiple brain regions, including those involved in language, people may begin to talk less or use simpler words. They could lose the capacity to comprehend and may struggle to follow instructions.
Individuals develop dementia aphasia in different ways. Some people may struggle to talk, while others may have problems comprehending. In certain situations, individuals may suffer from both types of aphasia. This condition may be really frustrating, preventing people from expressing their desires or emotions. This also leads to feelings of anxiety or loneliness.
Types of Aphasia
Aphasia may vary in terms of the way it affects language. There are several types, and each impacts language in different ways. Some of the most common types are:
- Anomic Aphasia
Anomic aphasia is one of the milder types of aphasia. Individuals with anomic aphasia find it hard to produce words when speaking. They might pause while speaking or substitute a vague word in place of the right word. Their grammar is good, though they may not recall nouns and verbs.
Anomic dementia aphasia is commonly one of the early signs to manifest in dementia. People may get frustrated with the inability to find words. However, they can often understand others and read with little difficulty.
- Broca’s Aphasia
This kind of aphasia results when the part of the brain used for speech production is damaged. Patients with this kind of aphasia understand language; however, they have trouble talking. They may know what they want to say, but the right words seem hard to find. Their speech is slower and inconsistent.
They frequently overlook little words, and their statements may be grammatically incorrect. Although people with this condition struggle to talk, they may understand what others say. Some of these people can read and write, and the impact varies according to the degree of their disease.
- Wernicke’s Aphasia
Wernicke aphasia is caused by damage to a different area of the brain that’s used for the comprehension of language. Patients diagnosed with Wernicke’s aphasia with dementia can readily speak long sentences in a fluent manner, but their words do not mean anything.
Their speech may use correct words, but the way they put them together may not be right. They might not realize that they don’t speak clearly. In fact, they may not even comprehend what people say to them. For Wernicke’s aphasia patients, reading and writing can be a problem, too, because it becomes very hard for them to understand the written words and to put together sentences.
- Global Aphasia
The most severe type of aphasia is global aphasia. This happens when both parts of the brain that help in speech and comprehension are affected. Patients of global aphasia have a hard time speaking, reading, writing, and trying to understand anything.
They can barely form a sentence or even try to answer very simple questions. Although they may be able to say a few words or phrases, communication is quite difficult. Global aphasia with dementia is often observed in patients who have had a severe stroke or are suffering huge damage to the brain.
During later stages of dementia, certain patients develop such a form of aphasia. They may not be able to communicate in any meaningful way and depend on non-verbal signs like gestures or facial expressions to convey their needs.
Conclusion
When someone is suffering from aphasia or any other condition of dementia, gaining an understanding can enable families to offer improved assistance. The illness impacts the ability to communicate, which can pose difficulties for both patients and families. Identifying the signs at an early stage can result in more effective ways of enhancing communication. With patience and the right care, people with dementia aphasia can continue to live meaningful lives.