Conduction aphasia is a speech disorder that arises due to damage to the arcuate fasciculus, a brain pathway that connects Broca's and Wernicke's areas. The spelling of this term can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The 'c' is pronounced as /k/ and the 'd' as /d/, with the stress falling on the second syllable (/kənˈdʌkʃən əˈfeɪziə/). The word conduction refers to the transfer of information or signals, while aphasia is a loss or impairment of language abilities.
Conduction aphasia is a communication disorder that affects an individual's ability to repeat or produce spoken language. It is characterized by a disruption in the brain's ability to convey information between different language processing centers. This type of aphasia typically occurs as a result of damage to the arcuate fasciculus, a bundle of nerve fibers that connects Broca's area (responsible for language production) to Wernicke's area (involved in language comprehension).
Individuals with conduction aphasia usually have intact comprehension skills; however, they struggle with the ability to repeat or speak fluently. They may have difficulty finding the right words or accurately producing the appropriate sounds. This is often accompanied by distorted or paraphasic speech, where words are substituted, rearranged, or omitted. Despite their difficulties in repeating or speaking, reading and writing skills tend to remain relatively unaffected.
The inability to repeat phrases or sentences is the hallmark feature of conduction aphasia. Individuals often display a phenomenon called phonemic paraphasia, wherein they unintentionally substitute or exchange certain sounds within words. They may also exhibit word-finding difficulties, although their ability to understand and comprehend the meaning of words remains relatively intact.
Speech therapy is a common treatment approach for individuals with conduction aphasia. Techniques may include repetition exercises, phonemic cueing, and strategies to improve phonological processing and articulation. Additionally, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices can be utilized to enhance communication for individuals who struggle with speaking or repeating words.
A form of a. in which the subject can speak and write in a way, but skips or repeats words or substitutes one word for another, the lesion being in the association tracts connecting the various language centers.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "conduction aphasia" can be broken down into two parts: "conduction" and "aphasia".
- The term "aphasia" is derived from the Greek words "a-" meaning "without", and "phasis" meaning "speech" or "expression". Thus, aphasia refers to a language disorder characterized by the loss or impairment of the ability to produce or comprehend speech, usually caused by brain damage.
- "Conduction" in this context refers to the disruption or impairment of the neural pathways responsible for transmitting information between different areas of the brain involved in language processing.
Therefore, "conduction aphasia" refers to a specific type of aphasia where the ability to repeat or "conduct" spoken or written language is impaired, despite relatively preserved comprehension and speech production.