

A stroke occurs when a blood clot or a leaking or burst vessel cuts off blood flow to part of the brain. Most often, the cause of the brain injury is a stroke. What causes aphasia?Īphasia is caused by damage to one or more of the language areas of the brain. About 1 million people in the United States currently have aphasia, and nearly 180,000 Americans acquire it each year, according to the National Aphasia Association. Most people who have aphasia are middle-aged or older, but anyone can acquire it, including young children.

Aphasia may co-occur with speech disorders, such as dysarthria or apraxia of speech, which also result from brain damage.

The disorder impairs the expression and understanding of language as well as reading and writing. Aphasia usually occurs suddenly, often following a stroke or head injury, but it may also develop slowly, as the result of a brain tumor or a progressive neurological disease. For most people, these areas are on the left side of the brain.
