What is aphasia primarily characterized by?

Aphasia is primarily characterized by difficulty in understanding and producing speech. This neurological condition affects an individual's ability to communicate effectively, leading to challenges in both expressive language (speaking) and receptive language (understanding what others say).

While aphasia itself does not impact a person’s physical abilities or motor skills, it can often co-occur with other conditions that affect these areas, but they are not intrinsic to the definition of aphasia. The primary issue lies in the brain's language processing centers, which may be damaged due to causes such as stroke or traumatic brain injury. Thus, individuals with aphasia might have intact physical strength and motor skills, but their capacity to articulate thoughts and comprehend language is compromised.