Where Does Aphasia Occur in the Brain?

Aphasia is a problem with speaking, writing, or understanding language. It happens when you injure parts of the brain that contribute to language. The language areas of the brain include the frontal lobe, the temporal lobe, and the parietal lobe.

What lobe is aphasia?

There are two broad categories of aphasia: fluent and non-fluent. Damage to the temporal lobe (the side portion) of the brain may result in a fluent aphasia called Wernicke's aphasia (see figure). In most people, the damage occurs in the left temporal lobe, although it can result from damage to the right lobe as well.

Where does Broca's aphasia occur in the brain?

The most common type of nonfluent aphasia is Broca's aphasia (see figure). People with Broca's aphasia have damage that primarily affects the frontal lobe of the brain. They often have right-sided weakness or paralysis of the arm and leg because the frontal lobe is also important for motor movements.