Conduction aphasia: symptoms, causes and treatment

This disorder causes people to have great difficulty repeating words.

Language disorders are diverse, both in their symptoms and in the origin of the disorder.

In this article we will see everything concerning conduction aphasia, what are its main symptoms, how to treat it and how to treat it.In this article we will see everything concerning conduction aphasia, what are its main symptoms, how the diagnosis is made, its causes and the treatment for these cases.

What is conduction aphasia?

What characterizes conduction aphasia is the inability to repeat the words that reach the ears..

For example, let us imagine that immediately after suffering some kind of accident, we regain consciousness and notice that it is impossible to repeat the words spoken to us. Probably in this case we will be in front of this type of aphasia.

Causes

This speech disorder corresponds to organic causes in the brain. Specifically originates with lesions in the arcuate fasciculus, which connects Broca's area with Wernicke's areawhich connects Broca's area with Wernicke's area, and the supramarginal gyrus.

In general, the incidents that mostly cause conduction aphasia are cerebrovascular diseases (CVD), although they can originate from (CVD), although they can originate in other ways, let us review what they are.

1. Cranioencephalic traumatism

After having suffered some kind of accident, conduction aphasia may occur. Under normal conditions, after some time, with the necessary treatment and rest, it can be completely rehabilitated.

2. Tumors of the Central Nervous System (CNS)

One of the symptoms that the subject may be presenting a tumor in some structure of the CNS is the inability to reproduce words. neurological evaluation is fundamental.

3. Other

Other possible causes are degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or brain infections, among others.among others.

What are the symptoms of this disorder?

Apart from the inability to repeat words orally, there are other symptoms characteristic of this type of aphasia. Let's take a look at them.

• Difficulty in finding words (phonemic paraphasias).
• Reading disturbances (when reading aloud).
• Alterations in writing.

In the most severe cases of this type of aphasia, the repetition of words can become completely null on the part of the affected subject, while in the mildest cases of this type of aphasiaIn the mildest cases, the person may be able to pronounce some words, after having made a series of approximations aloud. The latter is known as phonemic paraphrasing disorder, which is a comorbidity with conduction aphasia.

While the person presents this aphasia, he/she may be able to repeat some words, as long as the extent of the lesion is not too great and the words that are indicated to him/her make sense. In the case of nonsense words (pseudowords) the subject is completely unable to repeat them.

Diagnosis

Taking into consideration the multiple types of aphasia that exist, this is one of the mildest that exist, and its diagnosis is very simple to make.

First of all, it is necessary to take into account the degree of aphasia. the degree of education and the age of the subject before the moment of the accident that caused the disorder. that caused the disorder; this will be the starting point for the evaluation.

Then, the extent of the lesion is reviewed by means of a neuropsychological evaluation, taking into account that there are multiple degrees of affection in terms of brain structures and it is necessary to establish which is exactly the one presented by the patient.

In addition to this evaluation, the individual is given a series of indications, mainly focused on the repetition of specific words, letters, invented words, and random phrases. This serves to give the evaluator an idea of the extent of the lesion through the complications shown by the patient. through the complications shown by the subject in decoding the auditory information provided by the cues.

Treatment

The treatment for aphasias is mainly based on speech therapies with a speech therapist, in addition to a neuropsychological rehabilitation process.. The latter is important, considering that by exercising cognitive processes in general we are stimulating our speech process.

Let us remember that verbal expression is an extension of our thinking; when working on concentration, memory, and executive functions, we are taking giant steps towards recovery from aphasia.

Bibliographical references:

• Ardila, A. (2010). A proposed reinterpretation and reclassification of aphasic syndromes. Aphasiology 24 (3): 363-394.
• Damasio, H.; Damasio, A. R. (1980). The Anatomical Basis of Conduction Aphasia. Brain, 103 (2): 337-350.