Broca's Aphasia

Broca's Aphasia

Broca’s aphasia is an impairment or loss of the ability to produce speech. This disorder is caused by injury to Broca’s area of the brain, which is located in the left frontal lobe in most people.

Broca’s area is the area of the brain that controls the motor aspects of speech. This damage can be from brain injury or stroke.

Broca’s aphasia makes speech labored and halting. People with this disorder often have difficulty initiating speech. Their speech is flat and monotone. They tend to omit several words when speaking. The words they can produce often sound distorted. Sometimes, someone with Broca’s aphasia can only produce certain sounds.

The symptoms of Broca’s aphasia make it difficult for others to understand them. In its severest form, it can cause a complete loss of speech. People with Broca’s aphasia can usually understand words spoken to them. This is because there is a separate area of the brain responsible for language comprehension.

Because the brain cannot repair or replace the damaged neurons, there is no cure for this disorder. Speech therapy is the only treatment available. Through speech therapy, someone with Broca’s aphasia may be able to improve the speech distortions.