Conduction Aphasia

What is conduction aphasia?

Conduction aphasia is a language disorder that affects your ability to repeat spoken words or phrases. You can still speak fluently in conversations and understand what someone else says to you.

Let’s say someone is giving you directions. You want to repeat the directions to make sure you understand them correctly. The sentence you want to repeat is, “The park is two blocks north and one block west.” If you have conduction aphasia, you understand the meaning of this sentence, but when you try to repeat it, it might sound like, “The… um… park… north… um... west.”

Conduction aphasia makes this short sentence sound choppy and unfinished. Filler words like “um” work as placeholders as you try to find the right words to say.

You might also substitute other similar words for the one you want to say. For example, instead of “dog,” you say “frog.”

This is a rare and mild form of aphasia that can happen after an event that causes brain damage.

What are the symptoms of conduction aphasia?

The symptoms of conduction aphasia include difficulty:

• Repeating words and phrases that someone else says to you.
• Finding the right words to name objects (but you can identify the word you’re thinking of on a list).
• Talking without having time to plan what you’re going to say (as a result, you might substitute or mix up words in a sentence).

Conduction aphasia doesn’t affect your ability to:

• Hold a conversation.
• Understand what someone else says to you.
• Read or write.

Can people with conduction aphasia read?

Yes, you can still read with conduction aphasia.

What causes conduction aphasia?

Brain damage to the connection point between the language processing areas of your brain causes conduction aphasia. Brain damage can happen after:

• Stroke.
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI).
• Brain tumor.
• Brain infection.

Where is the conduction aphasia location?

Conduction aphasia can happen when there’s a lesion (damage) to the area of your brain between Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area (language processing centers of your brain). This connection point, known as the arcuate fasciculus, is responsible for processing the language you hear and producing speech.

How is conduction aphasia diagnosed?

A healthcare provider will perform a physical exam, neurological exam and testing to diagnose conduction aphasia. Imaging tests, like an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or CT scan (computed tomography scan), look for brain lesions (damage).

Your provider may refer you to see a speech-language pathologist (SLP). This is a specialized provider who will test your language skills, including your ability to:

• Speak (fluency).
• Understand spoken language.
• Repeat words or phrases.
• Name objects.
• Read and write.

You’ll likely do well on this test in all areas except repetition and naming objects.

How is conduction aphasia treated?

Your healthcare provider will recommend speech therapy to treat conduction aphasia. During speech therapy, a speech-language pathologist will work with you to make a treatment plan to manage the symptoms that affect you. Your treatment may focus on:

• Speech repetition training: You’ll learn new techniques to accurately repeat the words or phrases you hear.
• Word association: You’ll find different ways to identify objects to improve your brain’s ability to find the right word to say (word retrieval).
• Communication skills: You’ll practice the skills you learned in real-world scenarios to improve your ability to speak smoothly and clearly (fluency) when you’re ready.

If a tumor or infection causes aphasia symptoms, treating the cause with either removal surgery or medications may prevent worsening symptoms.

Can conduction aphasia be prevented?

You can’t prevent all causes of conduction aphasia. You may be able to reduce your risk by managing any underlying conditions that could lead to stroke. You could also wear safety equipment when participating in high-risk activities where a head injury is possible if something goes wrong.

What can I expect if I have conduction aphasia?

Symptoms of conduction aphasia are usually mild. Most of your language skills are intact. The condition may only have a limited impact on your communication skills. You can still go to school or work (most jobs) without interruption.

Your symptoms may improve in the months after an injury or stroke. Speech therapy can help you if symptoms don’t improve over time. Your care team will create a treatment plan specific to you, since there isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment for conduction aphasia.

When should I see a healthcare provider?

Visit a healthcare provider if you have trouble repeating what others say or finding the right word to say when you need to say something. A healthcare provider can help you figure out what’s causing language difficulties and offer treatment specific to your needs.

What questions should I ask my healthcare provider?

Questions you may want to ask your provider include:

• Do I need treatment if my symptoms are mild?
• How often do you suggest I go to speech therapy?
• What does my treatment plan look like?
• When will I be able to repeat words?