Conduction aphasia
What is conduction aphasia?
Conduction aphasia is a communication disorder in which the patient has a hard time repeating words or phrases. Often a person with conduction aphasia will have little to no trouble with other aspects of language. It’s also called associative aphasia.
The condition is relatively rare and is considered a mild form of aphasia.
Symptoms
What are the symptoms of conduction aphasia?
The symptoms of conduction aphasia include:
- Being unable to repeat words, phrases, or sentences
- Having little or no trouble with reading, writing, speaking, or understanding spoken messages
- May have some trouble with spoken language, like finding words or substituting words or sounds (paraphasia)
- Sometime may have difficulty repeating longer or more complex sentences
- Knowing they are making errors but having a hard time correcting them
Causes
What causes conduction aphasia?
Conduction aphasia is caused by damage to the brain, usually after a stroke, traumatic brain injury, tumor, or infection.
Which part of the brain is affected?
Usually conduction aphasia is caused by a lesion or damage between Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area in the brain. These areas are responsible for language. The point connecting the two areas, called the arcuate fasciculus, is responsible for processing heard language and creating speech.
Diagnosis
How is conduction aphasia diagnosed?
A speech pathologist will diagnose conduction aphasia based on a patient’s symptoms, usually after a stroke or brain injury. The SLP will also do a series of tests to help decide that you have conduction aphasia rather than other types of aphasia.
Treatment
How is conduction aphasia treated?
Like other types of aphasia, the best treatment for conduction aphasia is speech therapy with a trained speech-language pathologist. The therapist will work with you to create a treatment plan to retrain your brain to repeat words and phrases.
The SLP may also teach you new ways to communicate that work around the damage to your brain. For example, they may teach you to try writing down what people say instead of trying to speak it back. Or they may provide different devices to help you communicate, like communication boards or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.
Your medical provider may also prescribe medications or surgeries to treat underlying conditions like brain tumors or infections.
Recovery and prevention
Can conduction aphasia improve?
Can conduction aphasia improve?
Because conduction aphasia generally has mild symptoms, most patients may not have much trouble managing the condition. You’ll likely be able to live your life mostly as you had before, going to work, school, or social activities, although every person with aphasia is different.
Speech therapy can also help improve symptoms, especially very soon after the brain injury or stroke, although it may take a few months for the symptoms to improve. If your symptoms don’t improve, your SLP may help you find alternative ways to communicate.
Can conduction aphasia be prevented?
There’s no way to prevent conduction aphasia. However, you can lower your risk by living a stroke risk-prevention lifestyle (exercising, eating right) and wearing safety equipment when you engage in high-risk activities that could harm your head (like riding a bicycle or motorcycle with a helmet). You should also seek treatment for any issues affecting your brain as soon as possible.
Living with conduction aphasia
What is it like to live with conduction aphasia?
Most people living with conduction aphasia can return to normal activities and may not see much interruption to their daily lives. It’s still important to follow treatment plans outlined by your medical providers and SLPs.
What emotional or psychological effects can occur?
Although conduction aphasia is relatively mild, people living with the condition can still feel frustrated that their language abilities are impaired. They may feel embarrassed or want to withdraw from social situations.
Depression and anxiety can also play a role in living with conduction aphasia. It’s important for patients to work with their care teams to find solutions to emotional or mental health issues after diagnosis.
