What is aphasia?

Aphasia is a condition characterized by an impairment in language functions. This can affect various aspects of communication, including the ability to speak, understand speech, read, and write. It typically results from brain damage, most often due to a stroke or head injury, and it can manifest in different forms, such as expressive aphasia, where individuals struggle to produce language, or receptive aphasia, where understanding language is compromised.

In the context of this question, the focus is specifically on language impairments, which are crucial in distinguishing aphasia from other cognitive deficits. Memory functions, motor skills, and sensory functions pertain to different cognitive domains and are not directly related to the definition of aphasia, which is strictly linked to linguistic abilities. Thus, recognizing aphasia as an impairment of language functions helps clarify its specific impact on communication processes.