Inability to speak or understand the spoken word is called as?

Appeared in: DSSSB Public Health Nurse - 2015

Explanation

Aphasia is a language disorder that impairs a person's ability to process language, affecting speaking, understanding, reading, and writing.
It is caused by damage to the language centers of the brain, most commonly from a stroke or head injury.
The condition encompasses both expressive aphasia (difficulty producing speech, linked to Broca's area) and receptive aphasia (difficulty understanding speech, linked to Wernicke's area), matching the question's description.

Option A: Apraxia is a disorder of motor planning, not language. A person with apraxia cannot perform a task on command (like waving goodbye) even if they understand the command and have the muscle strength to do it.
Option C: Agnosia is a disorder of recognition. A person with agnosia cannot recognize objects, faces, or sounds despite having intact senses. It is a failure of interpretation, not language.
Option D: Insomnia is a common sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting good-quality sleep. It is unrelated to language function.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Neurological deficits affecting communication and cognition as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a vital role in assessing communication deficits and implementing strategies for patients with aphasia, such as using simple language, yes/no questions, and communication aids like picture boards or writing tablets.
Patience and providing a non-stressful environment are key nursing interventions, as frustration can worsen communication difficulties.
What if? If a patient could understand language perfectly but could not form words or speak fluently, the specific diagnosis would be Broca's aphasia (expressive aphasia), rather than a general or receptive aphasia.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key terms in the question: "inability to speak" and "understand the spoken word." This combination points to a comprehensive problem with language function.
Next, evaluate each option based on its medical definition.
Recall that 'a-' or 'an-' is a prefix meaning 'without' or 'lack of'. 'Phasia' relates to speech. Thus, 'aphasia' literally means lack of speech.
Differentiate this from 'apraxia' (praxis = action/doing) and 'agnosia' (gnosis = knowledge/recognition).
'Insomnia' (somnus = sleep) is clearly unrelated to communication.
Select the term that specifically describes a disorder of both producing and comprehending language.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 pp. 242-244, 244-246

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