TRAPPED IN SILENCE

As we mark Aphasia Awareness Month in June, neurologists stress the urgent need for awareness, early diagnosis, and access to speech-language therapy

- VENNAPUSALA RAMYA

AFTER a serious head injury or stroke, while families may think the patient has fully recovered, they often overlook the loss of communication ability—a common but unnoticed effect of brain injuries known as aphasia. This condition frequently goes misdiagnosed, say experts. In India, aphasia is still a major but little-known handicap. According to recent estimates, there are around two million people with aphasia in India, with a frequency of 3,000 per million and a community incidence of 43 per 100,000 every year. As June is observed as Aphasia Awareness Month, experts shed light on care and treatments.

Aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage to the brain, most commonly due to stroke, traumatic brain injury, tumors, or neurological diseases. Dr Yeshwanth Paidimarri, consultant neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, explains that it affects a person's ability to communicate effectively, including speaking, understanding speech, reading, and writing. "Importantly, aphasia does not affect intelligence—those with aphasia still possess their cognitive abilities but may struggle to express or comprehend language," he pointed out. "Depending on the underlying cause and severity of brain damage, aphasia can be either temporary or permanent," added Prof Dr Rupam Borgohain, senior consultant neurologist and programme director—PDM-DRC, Yashoda Hospitals. He pointed out that while brain damage, stroke, and brain tumors are major causes of aphasia, other reasons can include severe head injuries (for e.g., accidents), conditions that impact the brain, neurodegenerative conditions (e.g., progressive primary aphasia—a gradual loss of language skills), and short disruptions in blood flow to the brain caused by transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), migraines, or seizures.