The neuroanatomical approach to aphasia relies on the...

The neuroanatomical approach to aphasia relies on the localization of lesions on the brain in addition to clinical observation in order to classify patients according to syndromes. For example, according to the neuroanatomical approach, Broca’s aphasia, which us usually associated with a lesions on the posterior inferior frontal gyrus of the brain, has cardinal features that distinguish is from other fluent and non-fluent aphasias (e.g. poor repetition, poor repetition and poor naming with good auditory comprehension). Within this model, the general assessment process of an aphasic person consists of: (1) Gathering the client’s case history (e.g. a car accident that results in an injury to the anterior superior frontal lobe (in the case of†¦show more content†¦Further, different researchers and clinicians may classify patients differently as there as not clear-cut boundaries which separate classifications. In addition, patients have good and bad days, such that a patient’s performance on a particular day may be a cause for misclassification of aphasia. Furthermore, a patient can evolve from one classification to another during the course of recovery (e.g. from Broca’s Aphasia to Anomic Aphasia). Also, there are varying degrees within a particular classification. For example, Patrick had mild Broca’s aphasia, while some patients who have Broca’s aphasia can barely speak at all (i.e. severe Broca’s aphasia). Nevertheless, the classification system according to syndromes is useful when describing groups of people, rather than individuals, for example in research. However, it can also be valuable in clinical practice because it is an efficient way of best describing a person’s aphasia profile. For example, in a clinical setting it may be useful to use a classification (e.g. Wernicke’s aphasia), when talking to the client or the client’s family. This is because it can give them a reasonable sense of what is happening to them without overwhelming them (although in most cases, it is still overwhelming), and because in many cases people and their families prefer to have an answer rather than not knowing what has happened. Additionally, it is possible that a person may fall into a particular