School of Communication

FOR PERSONS WITH APHASIA, FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Aphasia Hope Foundation
National Aphasia Association

ABOUT APHASIA

Aphasia is a neurological disorder that affects the ability to understand and use language.

Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is a form of dementia affecting only language for at least the first two years after symptom onset.

Causes:

  • Aphasia results from stroke, head injury, or any type of trauma that causes damage to the language networks of the brain. Damage to the left side of the brain causes aphasia for most right-handers and about half of left-handers.
  • The cause of Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is unknown.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How common is Aphasia?

Aphasia affects about one million Americans or 1 in 275 people. More than 100,000 Americans acquire the disorder each year. (Source - NIH: NINDS)

Do people recover from aphasia?

A person with aphasia can completely recover without treatment. Language abilities may return in a few hours or even a few days. However, for the majority of cases, language recovery is not as quick or as complete.

Can aphasia be treated?

Yes. Aphasia therapy aims to restore language abilities as much as possible or compensate for language problems by promoting other methods of communicating. One of the goals in the Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory is to develop and study the effects of new treatments for aphasia.

TIPS FOR COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE WITH APHASIA

General guidelines for communicating with people with aphasia

  • Communication in a quiet, calm, relaxed environment is usually most successful. For example, avoid conversations when the TV is on or situations in which multiple people are talking at once.
  • Be patient when communicating. Give your partner time to communicate.
  • It is not necessary to avoid social situations. Instead, such activities should be encouraged. Whenever possible, continue normal activities.
  • Communication is usually most successful when individuals are not fatigued.
  • Communication, not perfection is the goal; therefore, avoid correcting grammar or pronunciation if the message is understood.
  • Be aware that communication abilities are often inconsistent in individuals with aphasia. For example, a particular word that is easy to produce one day may be difficult the next. Avoid comments such as, “You said it yesterday, so why can’t you say it today?”
  • Treat persons with aphasia as adults; allow independence in activities of daily living unless otherwise advised. Don’t talk down. Intelligence is generally intact; communication is the problem.
  • The main goal is to communicate—not speech or perfection. Use whatever methods you can to get your message across—speech, writing, drawing, gesture and/or communication notebook.
  • Avoid talking too fast as sometimes aphasia affects the ability to understand speech.

Suggestions for communicating with individuals who have difficulty expressing themselves

  • Do not speak for the individual with aphasia unless it is absolutely necessary.
  • Allow adequate time for responding to questions or requests.
  • Try not to interrupt or supply words unless help is requested.
  • When you don’t understand what the individual is trying to say, ask simple questions that require yes/no answers or gestural (pointing) responses for clarification.
  • Avoid “pretending” that you understand, when you don’t. Admit your problem, saying, “I’m sorry, but I’m not sure I understand.”
  • Ask your partner to repeat if you don’t understand what was said. Use facial expressions to indicate when you misunderstand.
  • Some responses will be incomplete or may be unrelated or opposite to what the person actually wants to say. For incomplete responses such as “glass…..water,” you can complete the utterance by saying, “You want a glass of water.” If a wrong word is produced, it is not necessary to correct the word, but you can repeat what you think the person meant to say, such as when the individual says “fork,” but meant to say “spoon,” respond to him/her by saying “here’s the spoon.”
  • Avoid using open-ended questions when seeking clarification. For example, ask “Do you want pasta for dinner?” rather than “What would like for dinner?”
  • Encourage all modes of communication (speech, gesture, drawing and use of a communication notebook).

Suggestions for communicating with individuals who have difficulty understanding language

  • Do not assume that a person with aphasia understands everything that you are saying, even if he/she looks alert and nods appropriately while you are talking.
  • Conversely, do not presume that the individual with aphasia does not understand what you are saying. Don’t talk about him/her in his/her presence without inclusion in the conversation.
  • Establish the individual’s attention by saying the person’s name or tapping his/her shoulder prior to the initiation of conversation.
  • Repeat or rephrase what you have said, as necessary.
  • Supplement directions with use of facial expression and/or use of gestures.
  • Keep your own communication simple, but adult-like. Use short, concrete statements rather than lengthy, complex questions and directions in daily conversation. Focus on expressing the “main points.”
  • Ask questions one at a time, pausing between each. Ask yes/no questions, or multiple choice questions.
  • Avoid giving long, involved directions.
  • Avoid a rapid speech rate.
  • Talk at a normal volume, unless the aphasic person also has a hearing loss.

PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH IN THE APHASIA AND NEUROLINGUISTICS RESEARCH LABORATORY

What projects are going on now?

Researchers in the Aphasia and Neurolinguistic Research Laboratory at Northwestern University study the underlying mechanisms of language impairments in aphasia. The goal is to understand how injury to the neural networks that support language impair processes such as naming or sentence production and comprehension. Researchers also investigate the recovery processes in aphasia – how the neural networks that support language brain reorganizes after brain injury. The Results have implications for both the basic understanding of brain function, and how the brain recovers from damage. Based on these results, researchers are developing new treatment programs for aphasia.

Current studies include:

  • Electrophysiological Study of Language Processing. This study examines the electrical activity of the brain, using Event Related Potentials (ERPs), associated with language processing in healthy and aphasic individuals.
  • Recovery of sentence production and comprehension. This project provides treatment for sentence comprehension and production difficulties for individuals with aphasia and charts the effects of treatment. People with Aphasia are trained to produce and understand certain sentence structures and generalization to other linguistically related structures is examined.
  • Computerized treatment for sentence deficits. Based the findings of our studies examining the effects of treatment for sentence comprehension and production, we are currently developing and testing a computer automated system for delivery of this treatment.
  • Treatment of verb production. In this work we investigate the effects of treatment for various types of verbs and how this impacts production of sentences.
  • Recovery of sentence processing and production. This work uses a variety of techniques, include eyetracking while listening and speaking. The aim is to understand how individuals with aphasia recover the ability to comprehend and produce sentences as they naturally listen or produce language.
  • FMRI Investigations of Sentence Processing. This work uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine how the brain recovers the ability to process language. These studies examine aspects of word and sentence processing in healthy volunteers and compare how the brain compensates when parts of the language network are affected by stroke or other brain disorders.
  • Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). This project examines word production and comprehension in persons with PPA. This work conducted in collaboration with Drs. Marsel Mesulam and Sandra Weintraub.

How can I become involved in participating in research projects in the Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory?

If you are interested in participating in our studies, please email or call us at: m-cosic@northwestern.edu or 847-467-7591. We will set up an appointment for a visit and/or address any of your questions or concerns.

What happens when I participate in research in the Aphasia and Neurolinguistics Research Laboratory?

A comprehensive evaluation of your language abilities is provided in order to determine eligibility for our treatment studies. Enrolled individuals receive treatment focused on their language impairment. Usually, treatment sessions are two times a week. For some studies, participants receive intensive treatment on a daily basis. Many volunteers also participate in pre- and post-treatment eyetracking and fMRI scans to provide even more information about the nature of their aphasia and the effects of treatment.

Can I participate in research in the Aphasia and Neuroliguitics Research Laboratory if I do not have aphasia?

In order to help us understand how language is processed in the brain we invite volunteers of all ages, without brain damage or language impairment, to participate in our studies. Volunteers may be financially compensated for their time.

Aphasia Support Group

The Aphasia Support Group at Northwestern University meets on the second Saturday of every month. Our mission is to provide a forum for education, support and community to all people with aphasia in the Chicago area. Everyone is welcome to attend. There is no charge for attendance.

Where

Frances Searle Building
2240 Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208

When

10:30 a.m. - Noon
2nd Saturday of every month

Contact

Mary Cosic
847-467-7591
m-cosic@northwestern.edu