Strokes can cause communication disorder
Ian McCarthy, Athens NEWS Special Projects Contributor
July 5, 2005
June was National Aphasia Association (NAA) Awareness Month. Aphasia refers to any communication disorder caused by damage to the brain, most commonly through stroke, but also through Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Aphasia does not affect intelligence, although aphasia victims may mistakenly be assumed to be drunk, stupid or crazy. Some people with aphasia carry cards that they can hand to a police officer that say something like: "I am not drunk. I have aphasia. It is a diagnosed communication disorder that does not affect my ability to drive. Please contact my doctor at 740-593-XXXX."
Roughly 750,000 strokes occur each year in the U.S. A stroke occurs when the brain is deprived of the blood or nutrients it needs to function, often causing irreversible damage. According to the NAA, up to 40 percent of stroke victims acquire aphasia.
People who have aphasia commonly suffer from depression due to the sudden loss of communication. There are many support groups, including the Britain-based group Connect, whose website, aphasiahelp.org, has helped people with aphasia create web pages.
One of the stories on aphasiahelp.org is by Tony Moor, a stroke survivor, who explains: "For six months my wife had to feed me. Before my stroke I could speak five languages fluently, and three more a little. But now I can't speak at all."
Moor's doctor suspected that his stroke may have been caused by his diabetes.
"I understand people when they talk to me, but I get tired if we talk for too long. I communicate by writing down key words and by using a lot of gesture and facial expression, also some drawing," Moor says.
People with aphasia may laugh or cry uncontrollably. The same individuals who cannot speak conversationally may swear frequently or be able to perform automatic tasks like singing songs or reciting poetry.
Often, if aphasia is suspected after a stroke, a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) further tests and treats the patient to determine the existence, variety and severity of the aphasia.
An SLP utilizes therapeutic techniques, often by emphasizing and expanding upon a patient's remaining communication skills, as well as restoring communication abilities such as writing, reading and speaking.
Aphasia occurs in many forms, largely determined by the location of the brain damage, the age of the patient and the time that passes between the onset of the stroke and the beginning of therapy.
Most crucial is to get to a hospital as soon as possible after a stroke. Aphasia takes many forms, ranging from minor difficulties finding words to an inability to speak and comprehend language.
According to the NAA, the best ways to communicate with a person who has aphasia include: Speaking slowly and clearly, allowing the person with aphasia plenty of time to respond without resorting to finishing sentences, as well as being open to other forms of communication like gestures and drawing pictures. The main thing to remember is to respect a person with aphasia as an intelligent person, despite the difficulties of communication.
In Athens, speech-language therapy services for individuals with aphasia are available at the Ohio University Therapy Associates Hearing, Speech, Language and Physical Therapy Clinic in Grover Center, which is part of the School of Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences at Ohio University.
The school also is a highly respected training ground for future SLPs, and is directed by Brooke Hallowell, Ph.D., an internationally-recognized researcher in neurogenic communication disorders in adults, including aphasia.
Although Dr. Hallowell acknowledges that many health care professionals misdiagnose aphasia as an inability to understand intellectually, she points out that "it's much more common, though, for others without health care training to misunderstand the signs and symptoms of aphasia."
Hallowell adds that "having been an extremely and painfully shy person throughout my childhood and young adulthood, I can really relate to the notion of having something important to say and just not being able to express it. It is really rewarding to help them (people with aphasia) find creative ways to improve their communication abilities."
Currently, Hallowell said, "we are completing a major six-year study on aphasia funded by the National Institutes of Health." She invites anyone with aphasia to get in touch with her.
"There is no cost. In fact, we pay our participants, and provide free communication assessments and hearing and vision screenings," she said.
Hallowell may be reached at 740-593-1356 or by email at hallowel@ohio.edu.
Aphasia is much more widespread than other brain diseases like Parkinson's disease or cerebral palsy, but gets much less media attention. This translates into less research money and less general awareness of this relatively common communication disorder.
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