Aphasia (uh-fay'-zhuh) is a communication disorder that can affect a person's ability to use and understand spoken or written words. It results from damage to the side of the brain dominant for language. For most people, this is the left side (hemisphere). Aphasia usually occurs suddenly and often results from a stroke or head injury, but it can also develop slowly because of a brain tumor, an infection, or dementia. The disorder impairs both the expression and understanding of language as well as reading and writing. Aphasia may co-occur with speech disorders such as dysarthria or apraxia of speech, which also result from brain damage.

• Who has aphasia?
• Types of Aphasia
• Aphasia Treatment
• New Approaches to Evaluation
• New Approaches to Characterization
• New Therapeutic Approaches
• A Closer Look at the Brain