ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces five types of aphasia: Broca's aphasia, Wernicke's aphasia, anomic aphasia, conduction aphasia and global aphasia. It emphasises the variation seen in aphasia, even within these broad types. Symptoms of aphasia are described, illustrating how aphasic errors are not arbitrary, but reflect how language is processed in the brain. Cognition in aphasia is discussed, showing how aphasia, unlike dementia, is not a cognitive impairment. Despite this, cognitive difficulties in aphasia are described, which may reflect other stroke impairments or an inability to generate the “inner speech” that helps us to solve difficult cognitive problems. Non stroke aphasias are introduced, including Primary Progressive Aphasia. Communication difficulties following right hemisphere damage are described. These point to language skills in the right hemisphere which may still be accessed by people with aphasia.
