Lost for words

Aphasia, or the inability to speak, is common for stroke sufferers but there are strategies to help with recovery.

- BY NICKY PELLEGRINO

When the actor Bruce Willis was diagnosed with aphasia it drew attention to a common yet widely misunderstood condition.

For Willis, it was a symptom of frontotemporal dementia but for other sufferers, aphasia may be the result of a stroke, head injury or brain tumour.

Around a third of people who have a stroke will experience aphasia and it is estimated to affect at least 30,000 NZ stroke sufferers. However, a 2013 study found that only 1.5% of the population and 21% of those in the healthcare sector had a basic knowledge of the condition.

Speech therapist Kate Milford is one of the founders of Aphasia New Zealand (AphasiaNZ), an organisation that aims to raise awareness of the communication disorder and support those living it.

"If you have aphasia, you can't easily tell people about it," Milford says. "Also, people with aphasia often withdraw from social events so it's kind of hidden."

Aphasia is caused by damage to parts of the brain responsible for language processing. It can affect speaking, reading, writing or understanding, and differs from person to person.