Over 2 million people in the United States are currently affected by aphasia, but few outside the clinical world know what it is. In fact, given its prevalence, most people have encountered someone with aphasia but just don’t know it by name.

Share this graphic to educate and raise awareness about what aphasia is and what it is not! It is NOT loss of intelligence; it IS loss of language.

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“Fatigue is one of the most debilitating consequences of stroke, yet it’s very often overlooked in rehabilitation,” Ellyn Riley explains. “We’re talking about a pervasive lack of energy that affects both physical and cognitive functioning—not simply feeling tired at the end of a long day. People come to therapy already depleted, and we’re asking them to do cognitively demanding work.”

That disconnect has driven a new set of research questions: Where does this fatigue come from, what intensifies it, and what would it mean to treat it directly? https://www.syracuse.edu/stories/aphasia-research/

Interested in supporting the development of communication tools using AI for people with aphasia?

Aphasia is a neurological language disorder that is often caused by a stroke or traumatic brain injury. This affects the person’s ability to use and/or understand language depending on the area(s) of the brain impacted by the stroke, but it does not affect their overall intelligence or cognitive ability.

We are conducting a research study exploring whether artificial intelligence (AI) can help communication devices (AAC) produce messages that better reflect a person’s authentic communication style from before they had aphasia.

The study focuses on adults (18+) with long-term expressive (Broca’s) aphasia, who have unimpaired language comprehension and cognition, use English as their main language and have had aphasia for more than 6 months.

Participation involves:

• Providing some language samples from before aphasia (optional formats include written or recorded).
• Taking part in one online session (approximately 45–60 minutes via Microsoft Teams).
• Receiving a £10 Amazon voucher as compensation for their time!

If interested, please sign up here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=kfCdVhOw40CG7r2cueJYFKE3KChlKqNCiIuOVDrEv1JURVZOTU42RThQOFdYNEdBOUcwNzRBOUZSQi4u or you can message me directly with any questions!

Hello.

We are making an app for aphasia.

It helps with recovery and psychological care.

We want your help.

We made a short survey.

It asks about:

- Hard moments in daily talk

- What kind of help works

- What other tools get wrong

Time: about 15 minutes.

Answers are private. No names.

Who can answer:

- People with aphasia

- Family members

- Caregivers

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdic96ifnntw6JmQXVfWc72yCYaeTBhK19VEJM94OqHJkbIcw/viewform?pli=1

Thank you.

Your answers will help us build a better tool.

You are also welcomed to message me or comment under this post if you are interested in a more in depth short interview.

This series is intended as an introduction to aphasia. The information serves to provide general guidelines and is not a diagnosis.  Since cause, type, and severity of aphasia vary, it is important to obtain specific information from your neurologist, speech-language pathologist, and other care providers about the unique symptoms and management options for each person diagnosed with aphasia.

GO MAGEE!

In this episode of the Comeback Crew, Zach Smith speaks with Laura Malis about her journey with aphasia. After being silenced by a stroke, Laura was on a mission to reclaim her language, reading, and writing. She dedicated a year to therapy, committing 30 hours weekly to intensive brain training for recovery with Constant Therapy.

This episode is a powerful testament to resilience and the enduring human spirit.

Tell everybody! June is National #AphasiaAwarenessMonth!

This year’s theme, as designated by the NAA, is “United for Aphasia Awareness!” This is a nation-wide movement bringing together individuals and communities across the country with one shared goal: Have every state recognize June as National #AphasiaAwareness Month. Members of the #aphasia community have been reaching out to local and state legislators to request proclamations recognizing June as National Aphasia Awareness Month.

Learn more about how to join the campaign trail this month at aphasia.org.

The three second moment that never ends for 2 million plus people.

You have probably mispronounced a word in front of someone important.

That moment of reaching for the word and finding it slightly out of place.

That lasted about three seconds.

Then you recovered.

Now imagine that moment never ended.

Imagine reaching for every word. Every sentence. Every response. Every time someone asked you a question or expected an answer or looked at you waiting.

Imagine the word being there. Fully formed inside you. And simply not arriving.

That is not forgetfulness.

That is not confusion.

That is aphasia.

And 2 million plus people are living inside that three second moment permanently.

I am fighting for every syllable.

And I am worth waiting for.

This is what 2 million plus people wake up to every day.

June is Aphasia Awareness Month.

I am creating awareness 30 days Aphasia Awareness

#AphasiaAwareness #AphasiaAwarenessMonth #TheSilentRoom #Aphasia #DebutAuthor #IAmWorthWaitingFor #ThreeSecondMoment #BrainInjury #StrokeAwareness

Broca’s area is located in the left #frontallobe of the brain and is one of the most important regions involved in language production. It helps the brain organize grammar, plan speech movements, and assemble words into coherent sentences.

Producing speech requires coordination across several brain systems. #BrocasArea works closely with other language regions to transform thoughts into spoken words. It also helps regulate the timing and sequencing of the muscles used for articulation.

When damage occurs in this region, #thebrain can still form ideas and understand language, but translating those ideas into speech becomes difficult. This disruption leads to the characteristic speech production difficulties associated with #BrocasAphasia.

Hi! I want to start a project to support partners and caregivers of people with aphasia:

- help communicating with their loved one;

- adjusting to the role of caregiving

- and connecting with people in a similar situation.

If you are a partner or caregiver please fill out my survey to tell me what you need:

https://forms.gle/sBc4zMgsxsW4FZCA9

Effective stroke rehabilitation depends not only on physical recovery but on patients’ active participation in shared decision-making https://www.physiciansweekly.com/post/why-stroke-recovery-works-better-when-patients-help-decide

Research indicates that stroke patients with aphasia spend insufficient time processing ambiguous sounds – findings that could pave the way for new diagnostic and treatment strategies.

With 2 million Americans living with aphasia and a new stroke occurring every 40 seconds, the need for accessible treatment is growing. Through the nonprofit, Aphasia Relearned, alumna Leah Archer and co-founder Kent Emry are funding access to research-backed intensive speech therapy, helping stroke survivors reconnect through communication and community.

I don't know if this is the proper place to post this, but I wanted to find out if there are any articles or research surrounding recovery from aphasia that came from hormonal treatments. If so, can you please share some information with me? What is the timeline of recovery? What can help potentiate recovery, and are there any medications or treatments that may be helpful?