MEDICAL SURFARI: BRAIN INJURY CAN LEAD TO LOST WORDS

Communication through speech is unique to our species and it is the highest level of interaction between two or more minds.

Once we cross the line of speech development in our infancy and childhood, speech becomes so natural that most of us take for granted the hundreds of thousands to millions of words that we produce almost effortlessly each day -- never to return to the days when we gestured, grunted, groaned or cried to express our most basic needs. This is true for most of us, but for some unfortunate victims of brain injury from accident, stroke or other neurological conditions, aphasia (uh-fay'-zhuh) may occur. Aphasia is a troubling limitation in the ability to use or comprehend words.

Although there are approximately twice as many people in the United States who have some form of aphasia than there are individuals with Parkinson's Disease, there is very little public awareness of this condition. In the United States alone, there are 400,000-500,000 strokes per year and 1 out of 5 of these stroke victims has some type of aphasia -- totaling nearly one million living with this condition.

There are different types of aphasia (some are subtle and some severe, some are temporary and others may be permanent) and each is defined and diagnosed by the resulting communication impairment. Although symptoms and signs of aphasia may vary, the difficulties and frustrations that occur among these people and their family, friends and co-workers is less than ideal and the impact on relationships may be profound. We have all experienced the unfortunate consequences of a communication glitch; imagine your frustration if you experienced this each and every day!

If you know, or meet, someone with aphasia try these suggestions to help them communicate as effectively as possible:

With adults, keep your own communication simple and speak to them as an adult. Minimize or eliminate distracting background noise. Be certain to praise effort and encourage writing, drawing, yes/no responses, gestures and facial expressions. Always give them plenty of time to talk and time to respond. Accept all communication attempts avoiding criticism and corrections and gesture and repeat as necessary. Don't shield people with aphasia; each interaction gives them an opportunity to reinforce their strengths and improve. Encourage their independence.

World Wide Web Resources

National Aphasia Association

http://www.aphasia.org/

The National Aphasia Association is a nonprofit organization that promotes public education, research, rehabilitation and support services to assist people with aphasia and their families.

The Aphasia Hope Foundation

http://www.aphasiahope.org/body_index.htm

The Aphasia Hope Foundation desires to compile and foster scientific research along with the practical knowledge gained from the actual experiences of victims, their families and their service provider.

Dr. Scott Gibbs is a neurosurgeon and editor-in-chief of Mosby's Medical Surfari. You may e-mail questions to him at drgibbs@semissourian.com or write in care of the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardedau, Mo., 63701.