Paraphasia

Paraphasia is a speech disorder characterized by the unintentional substitution of one word for another. It is a common symptom of aphasia, a language disorder that results from damage to portions of the brain responsible for language. Paraphasia can manifest in various forms, including phonemic, verbal, and neologistic paraphasia.

Types of Paraphasia[edit | edit source]

Phonemic Paraphasia[edit | edit source]

Phonemic paraphasia involves the substitution, addition, or rearrangement of sounds in a word. For example, a person might say "tup" instead of "cup". This type of paraphasia is often associated with Broca's aphasia, a condition characterized by difficulty in speech production.

Verbal Paraphasia[edit | edit source]

Verbal paraphasia involves the substitution of one word for another. The substituted word may be related in meaning to the intended word (semantic paraphasia) or unrelated (random paraphasia). For example, a person might say "dog" when they mean to say "cat".

Neologistic Paraphasia[edit | edit source]

Neologistic paraphasia involves the creation of new, non-existent words. These words are typically unrecognizable and bear no relation to the speaker's intended message.

Causes[edit | edit source]

Paraphasia is most commonly caused by stroke, brain injury, brain tumor, or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. It can also occur as a result of language development disorders in children.

Treatment[edit | edit source]

Treatment for paraphasia typically involves speech therapy, where a speech-language pathologist works with the individual to improve their language skills. The specific treatment approach may vary depending on the type and severity of the paraphasia.