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Aphasia
University
of Michigan Health System RNS, Aphasia, June 2003
Full press release at the following URL:
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2003/aphasia.htm
Overcoming language
loss after stroke or other traumatic brain injuries
(Download audio version)
Suggested
Lead: Approximately 700-thousand people have strokes each year.
Many of those people have aphasia, a difficulty in speaking and
understanding language. Here is Andi McDonnell with more.
TRT 2:08
SOQ
Aphasia is
a life-long language disorder resulting from traumatic brain injury.
Strokes are common culprits, but brain tumors, severe head trauma
and infection can also be to blame. The injury disrupts the brain's
ability to translate thoughts into words and understand spoken or
written words.
Elaine Ledwon-Robinson,
(MS, CCC, BC-NCD), director of speech and language pathology at
the University of Michigan Health System explains...
"Communication
is an incredibly complex process, and the entire brain is involved
in communication. But different areas of the brain have different
responsibilities and contributions to effective communication.
So for example, traditionally, in most people, the dominant left
hemisphere of the brain is very involved in the understanding
and use of language. So if there is damage to the left hemisphere
of the brain, you're going to have difficulty with understanding
and using language. In other aspects of communication, if there's
damage, for example, to the right hemisphere of the brain, a person
can use words and make sentences and understand words and sentences.
But they have difficulty understanding the emotional content of
language."
There is an
innovative program at the University of Michigan that has helped
people with aphasia learn to communicate once again.
Dr. Joanne
Marttila Pierson, (Ph.D.) is with the University Center for the
Development of Language & Literacy at the University of Michigan.
She explains . . .
"The
Residential Aphasia Program is designed for people at basically
all points plst the trauma, whether that trauma is from stroke,
whether that trauma has been from a head injury, whether that
trauma's from been from some other disease. The Residential Aphasia
Program is the only program in the country that provides intensive
therapy 23 hours a week with certified speech language clinicians.
95-percent of our clients show measurable gains on their communication
goals. And so it is the intensive nature of the program that works
for these people."
The inability
to communicate can be very frustrating for both the individual that
had the brain injury and their spouse or caregiver. The Residential
Aphasia Program helps people learn to communicate once again.
Andi McDonnell,
U-M Health System News
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