Understanding Broca's Aphasia
Understanding Broca's Aphasia
FEDERICO VILLARREAL
Year of Productive Diversification and Strengthening of the
Education
BROCA APHASIA
COURSE: NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
YEAR THIRD
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INTRODUCTION
In the first instance, those responsible for aphasia are thecirculatory disordersfrom the
area of thebrainof the language area caused by alterations of the vessels
bloodapoplexyor cerebral infarction). These may appear more frequently
when one suffersarteriosclerosisodiabetes mellitusAlso the hemorrhages and
thetumorsthey can cause brain injuries resulting in speech disorders.
Depending on the symptoms present and their severity, aphasias can be classified into
different syndromes. The most important ones we will mention below are
Broca's aphasia, Wernicke's aphasia, amnesic aphasia, and global aphasia. These
Symptoms can be clearly classified based on the injury of a specific
region of the brain.
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Broca's aphasia
Definition of aphasia
Incidence
It is estimated that there are between 150,000 and 300,000 patients suffering from aphasia in countries like
History
The basis of our knowledge about aphasia (loss of speech) dates back to the first
mid-nineteenth century. At that time, in the field of cerebral pathology, it began to
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establish a relationship between motor and sensory functions, respectively, and the
disorders and the impact on certain regions of thebrain.
At the central point of this development is the French physician Paul Broca.
(1824-1880), who for the first time in 1861 identified in a man with disorders
speech motors, that the speech motor center in right-handed individuals is located in the middle
the left side of the brain a region that today is called Broca's area. The work of
Broca on the identification of the place (localization) where some of the
the functions of the brain were key to the later development of the anatomy and physiology of the
brain.
For the first time in the first quarter of the 20th century, there was a great interest in research.
the structure of each region of the brain and chart the map of the entire brain. Already in 1909
Korbinian Brodmann distinguished 52 different areas, which he designated with numbers from
from Area 1 to Area 52. The Brodmann system is still predominantly used.
nowadays.
With research into the regions of the brain, there was hope of obtaining
Information about the functions of the brain through the understanding of its structure.
histological. Subsequent studies showed, however, that they had not been achieved.
to accurately identify the regions and functions of the brain. This could be due, among
other things, that most of the time the analyses were only carried out in a few
people.
The new comparative analyses show that the parts of the structure
The histological structure of the brain is extraordinarily distinct. Despite everything, it is possible
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First contributions
The interest in linguistic processes at the neuropsychological level emerged in the mid-century.
XIX, the date on which the neural bases of language begin to be established from
aphasic subjects due to specific brain injuries. The following details are provided
most relevant contributions in this regard.
Broca's contribution (1861). The first major contribution regarding the neural bases of
language is found in the works of Paul Broca. This French doctor publishes in
1861 his work with a patient who at 30 years old had begun to show problems
in speech. When Broca examined him, the patient was 51 years old, and his speech was limited to
a single expression: 'TAN' (the reason why this patient named Leborgne is known
for Tan). His level of understanding was considered normal by Broca, as he could
respond to certain questions through gestures.
After his death, the postmortem study revealed that the patient had extensive
brain damage due to a chronic infection affecting the skull, meninges, and a large part
of the left hemisphere. A large abscess in the third was also observed.
left frontal convolution.
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However, Broca does not believe that the entire brain-language relationship is reduced to
the left frontal convolution, but differentiates three processes of language
related to different neuroanatomical bases:
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General faculty of language (bilateral capacity or corresponding to the hemisphere
law
Broca's aphasia
In Broca's aphasia, the symptoms of the speech disorder primarily affect the
expression. Hence it is also referred to as motor aphasia (the loss of)
speech affects the active expression of language). The most important symptom of this
Language disorder is agrammatism (from Greek a = without, no). Patients are no longer
in a position to construct grammatically correct sentences in their mother tongue. By
they use short telegraphic sequences made up of one to three words and
They stand out for constructing extremely simple sentences.
Normally, the word order does not follow grammatical rules, but rather it
based on the importance of the topic. This agrammatism is also shown when writing. For
finding the right term, those affected often make a great effort. This effort to
speaking can be greater if accompanied by a joint disorder
speech (dysarthria), especially if its origin is central (due to a brain injury).
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Similarly, anatomically, Broca's area is considered
corresponds to the two posterior thirds of the lower left frontal turn (triangular part
and opercular), anterior to area 6 of Brodmann, that is, the region comprised between the
horizontal and ascending branches of the lateral sulcus and a small posterior portion of it
last.
Uylings and collaborators (1999) state that Broca's area is not clearly
defined, and the same happens with Wernicke's area; they also add that there is a
great anatomical variability in terms of size and shape in healthy individuals. For these
authors, the branches of the lateral groove do not match the boundaries of area 44 and 45, and create
emphasis on the great variability of the ascending and horizontal branches of the lateral sulcus, due to
that anatomically it is also not possible to accurately delimit the Broca area, about
everything in those individuals who do not have the horizontal and ascending branches clearly
defined, as can often be observed in magnetic resonance studies.
Area 45 occupies the triangular part of the lower frontal gyrus that can be
neuroanatomically delimited by the branches of the lateral sulcus, the anterior part
through the horizontal branch and the back by the ascending branch.
The approximate dimensions of Broca's area can be obtained from the Surgery Atlas.
Talairach stereotactic and the Atlas of Gyri and Sulci of Ono
collaborators.
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Speech Therapy
Cognitive considerations of Broca's aphasia
Most authors believe that the main characteristic of this aphasia consists
in a telegraphic or agrammatic language (non-fluent aphasia); that is to say, an oral language that
lacks grammatical markers with difficulties at the syntactic level, both in expression
like in understanding.
For their part, Benson and associates mention that Broca's aphasia manifests
only if there is an extended lesion in the opercular region, precentral gyrus, anterior part of
the insula and paraventricular and periventricular white matter.
CLASSIFICATION
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TYPES
Broca's aphasia type I (also known as agrammatic aphasia, minor Broca's aphasia or aphasia)
Broca's area) occurs when the lesion is strictly limited to Broca's area.
These types of patients usually present with initial mutism and mild right hemiparesis.
as well as defects in articulation and prosody with slight difficulty in finding the
appropriate words to express what is desired.
Other symptoms that may appear are: reduction in the length of sentences
without reaching an agrammatical state, restricted use of syntax and writing generally
is affected with the same severity as speech. The symptoms of this
This subtype of aphasia is generally transient.
On the other hand, Broca's aphasia type II occurs when the lesion in the Broca area is
extends to the opercular region, precentral gyrus, anterior insula, and white matter
periventricular; affecting the connections with nearby areas and other more distant regions.
The signs and symptoms of type II aphasia are very similar to type I, the difference lies in
in type II, the signs and symptoms are mostly pronounced and persistent, to
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difference of type I, which are of lesser severity and generally disappear at the
few months.
Finally, the same authors point out that the symptoms and the degree of severity,
They will be related both to the location and the size of the lesion.
These last authors, with a somewhat anatomical approach, describe two patterns.
clinical signs that occur when an injury is present in regions near the area of
Broca, which differ so much in the brain region and in the symptoms, these are:
a) Injury of the lower motor cortex and part of the operculum. The symptomatology of
a localized injury in this region, which often involves the nucleus
caudate and putamen, is mainly related to speech (motor aspect)
more than with language (symbolic aspect). Some syndromes that could be
synonyms are agraphia, subcortical anarthria, pure motor aphasia, apraxic dysarthria,
cortical dysarthria, verbal apraxia, pure phonetic disintegration, and speech apraxia.
At the beginning of the establishment of this condition, the patient may show mutism.
and hemiparesis, with good evolution. Likewise, there may be effort when speaking,
with impairment in the joint and in prosody. Generally, it can be observed
an appropriate writing, which indicates that the main deficit is found in the
speaks more than in language, affecting complex motor programs
necessary for verbal response. Language, cognition, initiation of the
articulation and abstract verbal abilities are preserved.
b) Injury of the lower motor cortex and the operculum. This refers to a more severe injury.
extensive and deep (which affects a larger number of connections than the previous one, already
which completely includes the operculum and deep white substance. As for the
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clinical picture, at the beginning it may also present with mutism and hemiparesis, as well as
loss of the ability to pronounce learned series and prolonged transition between
the phrases. Problems are observed in finding the word and errors are present
paraphasias (phonetic). The repetition is slightly better than the response
spontaneous. In this type of injury, written language is affected,
difference from the previously mentioned framework. Likewise, in this type of injuries it is
it is common to find the following three symptoms:
CAUSAS
There are various types of causes that produce a brain injury. The most common ones
they usually are:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI): These are brain injuries whose cause
primary is external, usually a blow. This injury can lead to a state
of diminished or altered consciousness and usually leads to a deterioration in the
physical and cognitive functioning affecting emotionally and socially those who it
suffers. In relation to linguistic and communication skills, the
the most common problems they present are difficulties in finding words,
unclear and concise expression, tendency to repeat oneself, scarce skills for
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to maintain the topic of a conversation and to respect the turns of speech,
difficulties in interpreting and expressing the prosodic characteristics of language.
Stroke or ictus, which occurs when there is a disturbance in the blood supply.
cerebral blood in any of its four ways: Clot, Hemorrhage,
Compression
Depending on the areas that the injury has affected, they will be affected.
different abilities or several at once, so we can say that each aphasia is
different and above all, that each person has their own characteristics. In our case,
When dealing with children and young people, we must take into account the plasticity of the brain, which
During the early years of life, it redistributes the functions of the damaged parts.
based on age we can affirm that if the onset occurs:
From the age of ten or twelve, the brain is fully mature and therefore
both his recovery will be expensive and may not be complete
Between three and ten, the recovery will gradually occur later, but it will
they will achieve good results after the intervention.
Since there is a higher incidence of right-handed people than left-handed ones, and for around
Of 90% of right-handed people, the left half of the brain (hemisphere) is the half that...
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The language is affected, aphasia almost always originates from an injury in the hemisphere.
left side of the brain. On the contrary, when aphasia affects left-handed people, it is usually the
the right hemisphere of the brain that is damaged. There are isolated cases in which the
right-handed individuals suffer from the so-called crossed aphasia where certain areas have been damaged.
SYMPTOMS
Aphasia (loss of speech) can show diverse symptoms. Depending on the area of
brain that is affected, different types of aphasia appear with their most
frequent.
CHARACTERISTICS
Depending on the degree of aphasia, some symptoms will appear while others will not. Patients with
In reading, they are able to read content words (lexical) but omit the
grammatical words; and writing is affected by both motor-type problems and
due to the aphasic disorders themselves, since motor alterations are common.
associated problems that these types of students present, especially in the form of
right hemiplegia or right hemiparesis.
In the most typical form of Broca's aphasia, the lesions presented by the
students give way to a first phase in which there is mutism or simple vocalizations,
what can normally evolve into a verbal stereotype. Once the
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clinical picture evolves, the child or adult starts to say words like their name, that of
their relatives, or common objects, that are accompanied by more or less expressions
automatically connected to an emotional language.
The words he emits are distorted, and have been removed from his speech.
those that are more complicated.
DIAGNOSIS
The first step in diagnosing aphasia (loss of speech) is the so-called diagnosis
primary. In this, the doctor performs an initial assessment of the speech disorder. The
The diagnosis of aphasias requires a lot of experience and sensitivity. Hence, there exist
different types of tests at our disposal.
The Token test is the most suitable for diagnosing aphasia in the most ...
quick. Patients must choose one to two sheets of certain colors, shapes
and sizes between 10 or 20 sheets after listening to some instructions. The accuracy of this test for
The diagnosis of aphasia is 90%.
It's also advisable that alongside the diagnosis, the capacity of is checked.
patient's non-verbal perception and intelligence, as they can sometimes be affected due to the
injury of thebrain.
TREATMENT
In cases of aphasia (loss of speech), the treatment is usually conducted by a speech therapist.
Since the treatment significantly improves the patient's communicative ability in
In most cases, one should start as soon as possible.
In the early stages of aphasia, in which the patient usually is barely ...
able to emit an oral utterance, the speech therapist tries to reactivate the oral capacity. To do this,
different methods are used. The therapist encourages the aphasic person to repeat with him or to repeat
In the second phase of treatment, exercises aimed at disorders are carried out.
of speech characteristics of the type of aphasia that one suffers from. When it comes to an aphasia of
Broca, for example, the therapist practices sentence construction with the patient.
grammatically simple.
In the third phase, the therapist and the affected individual try to apply the abilities
communicative skills that have been achieved during therapy to meet the needs of the situations
communicative aspects of daily life. To facilitate this, therapy is usually sought
group.
EVOLUTION
The development of aphasia (loss of speech) mainly depends on the type and severity.
of brain injury and the age of the affected person. In many cases, aphasia improves from
gradual manner, especially in the first six months after the brain injury to
cause of the improvement in blood flow. Although there are also cases of aphasia of a character
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chronic according to the nature of the injury. Starting treatment early has an impact on
generally positively in the development of aphasia.
PREVENTION
APHASIAAND FAMILY
Simplify the language using short and simple sentences, not complicated ones.
Repeat the content of the words, or write the key words to clarify the
meaning when necessary.
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Encourage any type of communication, whether spoken or through gestures,
signals, drawings.
Help the person to get involved in activities outside the home. Look for Groups
support, like clubs for stroke patients.
Ask and value the opinion of the person with aphasia, especially on matters of
family.
Aside from all this, the family has many doubts regarding the behavior.
What they should take with their loved one, here we aim to answer some of the
most common issues that families may have:
This decision depends on the speech therapist and the doctor, but in general it is advisable that the
the patient should be alone during their training sessions; this way, the therapist will be able to control
the teaching and establishing a closer relationship with the patient. In some cases, the
The speech therapist can decide that a family member is present during the session.
therapeutic this is particularly necessary when the family needs to learn to
develop a home language re-education program.
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Some show progress in just a few months, others progress slowly but steadily.
for several years. Almost always the language recovers very gradually.
Very few aphasics completely regain normal language use for reading, writing, and
talk, but rehabilitation can improve them to a point where they are considered almost
normal. When setting the goals for aphasia rehabilitation, it is necessary to avoid
any unrealistic approach. It is better to set minimum objectives that can
to be fulfilled week by week, to set a long-term goal of normal language.
The family of an aphasic patient can help him improve by creating for him, at home,
a warm and permissive atmosphere. Whatever the family feels or thinks will be communicated without
A series of accepted behaviors and other inappropriate ones are shown when dealing with
with a relative who has aphasia.
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Do everything possible to ensure that the patient
you can speak. This is achieved by making the
2. Do not force the patient to talk or to see
speaking seems like a pleasant experience and
people when they do not wish it.
generously praising the patient
when I tried to speak.
3. Allow the patient to discuss mistakes 3. Do not speak for the patient unless it is
while speaking. absolutely necessary.
they must be brief. It's the frequency, not the can communicate.
duration is what matters.
9. Encourage the patient in all their 9. Do not interrupt the patient with their
efforts. activities even if they seem futile.
11. Allow the patient everything 10. Do not expect gratitude from
independent that wants in relation to their patient for every small attention that is
age. the toast.
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CONCLUSIONS
Talking about Broca's aphasia is talking about a syndrome with multiple components,
which is nonspecific in our days from both an anatomical point of view
as cognitive, since different patients diagnosed with Broca's aphasia
they can present various neuropsychological profiles, involving different
prognoses and rehabilitation treatments.
It is worth noting that despite the obvious difficulty faced by aphasic patients
Broca to express himself, the difficulties in understanding oral language as well
they can be very important, specifically at the level of complex sentences; without
embargo, such difficulties can only be evident upon an exploration
detailed and specific cognitive.
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It is possible to anatomically determine the center of Broca's area at 2.5 cm in
rostral direction and parallel to the lateral sulcus from the lower end of the sulcus
central and 1.5 cm. above the lateral sulcus (center of the triangular region).
There are no studies that explore in detail the neuropsychological sequelae and
his recovery in the Broca area.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC SOURCES
Alexander PM, Benson DF, Stuss DT. Frontal Lobes and Language. Brain and
Language, 1989; 37: 656-691.
Dronkers NF, Pinker S, Damasio AR. Language and aphasias. In: Kandel E,
Schwartz JH, Jessell TM. Principles of Neuroscience. 4th ed. Spain: McGraw-Hill
Hill. 2000. p. 1169-1187.
Ellis AW. Young AW. Human cognitive neuropsychology. Masson Publishing, 1992.
p. 239-269.
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