Etymed
aphasia
Definition
Loss or impairment of ability to understand or express speech
Clinical context
A 65-year-old man presents to the emergency department after a sudden onset of confusion and inability to speak clearly. His wife reports that he was speaking normally 2 hours ago but suddenly could not form words or understand what others were saying. On examination, he can only produce single words and gestures. MRI shows a lesion in the left frontal lobe.
Mnemonic
Aphasia = A for Articulation, P for Perception, H for Hearing, A for Awareness, S for Speech, Ia for Intelligence, S for Syntax