June – Aphasia Awareness

Aphasia is an acquired disorder of communication that impairs an individual’s ability to process and understand both spoken and written language. The condition is much more common in our country than we might realize, affecting about one million people or one in every 250 in the United States. More than 100,000 Americans develop aphasia every year. While more common as we age, it can occur to anyone irregardless of gender, ethnicity, intelligence, etc. It results from injury to specific areas of the brain and can the result of a stroke, the presence of a brain tumor, infection, head trauma, or a neurological condition. Because the left side of the brain is most commonly affected and that side of the brain controls movement for the opposite side of the body, many individuals will suffer from generalized weakness or paralysis of the right leg and right arm.
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