What is "receptive aphasia"

n. aphasia characterized by fluent but meaningless speech and severe impairment of the ability understand spoken or written words [syn: Wernicke's aphasia, fluent aphasia, sensory aphasia, impressive aphasia]

Receptive aphasia, also known as Wernicke's aphasia, fluent aphasia, or sensory aphasia, is a type of aphasia in which an individual is unable to understand language in its written or spoken form. Even though they can speak using grammar, syntax, rate, and intonation, they typically have difficulty expressing themselves meaningfully through speech. Receptive aphasia was named after Carl Wernicke who recognized this condition. People with receptive aphasia are typically unaware of how they are speaking and do not realize their speech may lack meaning. This is due to the fact that they have poor comprehension skills and do not understand their own speech. They typically remain unaware of even their most profound language deficits. When experienced with Broca's aphasia, the patient displays global aphasia.

Like many acquired language disorders, receptive aphasia can be experienced in many different ways and to many different degrees. While the typical case shows severely disturbed language comprehension, many individuals are still able to maintain conversations. Many may only experience difficulties with things such as accents and fast speech with the occasional speech error and can often carry out simple commands. Not all individuals show a complete loss of language comprehension. A common symptom of receptive aphasia is misinterpreting the meaning of words, gestures, pictures. For example, a patient with receptive aphasia may take the expression "it's raining cats and dogs" literally instead of figuratively. What is described here is what is referred to as a "textbook" example with the typical, fully expressed symptoms.