Aphasia is a condition caused by damage to the speech part of the brain, most often resulting from conditions that cause strokes, such as blood clots, brain injury, or burst blood vessels. Affecting both men and women, it occurs particularly as a result of stroke, especially in older individuals.

Also referred to as a language disorder, aphasia affects and impairs a person's ability to read, write, speak, and understand spoken language. This is due to a problem in the brain, not a malfunction of the ears, mouth, or other body parts used for speaking and listening.

Common symptoms of aphasia include forming nonsensical and meaningless sentences, speaking in short sentences, and difficulty understanding what is being said. Speech therapy is the most commonly used treatment for aphasia.