A 72-year-old client recovering from a cerebrovascular accident cannot understand the Psychiatric Technician's speech. This condition is best described as which of the following?

A 72-year-old client recovering from a cerebrovascular accident cannot understand the Psychiatric Technician's speech. This condition is best described as which of the following?

• A. Amnesia
• B. Aphasia
• C. Agnosia
• D. Apathy

Answer: (B)

Language impairment after brain injury is called aphasia. When someone cannot understand spoken language, that is receptive aphasia, often due to damage in the left hemisphere’s language centers (like Wernicke’s area). This is different from amnesia, which is memory loss; agnosia, which is trouble recognizing objects or sensory stimuli; and apathy, which is a lack of motivation or interest. So, not understanding the speech indicates a receptive language deficit rather than a memory, recognition, or motivation issue. In this context, the stroke has affected the brain’s ability to process language, which is the hallmark of aphasia.

Language impairment after brain injury is called aphasia. When someone cannot understand spoken language, that is receptive aphasia, often due to damage in the left hemisphere’s language centers (like Wernicke’s area). This is different from amnesia, which is memory loss; agnosia, which is trouble recognizing objects or sensory stimuli; and apathy, which is a lack of motivation or interest. So, not understanding the speech indicates a receptive language deficit rather than a memory, recognition, or motivation issue. In this context, the stroke has affected the brain’s ability to process language, which is the hallmark of aphasia.