Terms include two definitions: an Accessible Definition in plain, everyday words and a Clinical Definition in professional language.
Acalculia means having trouble doing math or working with numbers because of a brain injury.
ADLs are the everyday things people do to take care of themselves, like getting dressed, brushing their teeth, eating, and using the bathroom.
Agnosia means a person’s senses (like sight or hearing) are working, but their brain has trouble making sense of what they see, hear, or touch.
Agraphia means having trouble writing words or sentences because of brain injury. It can be hard to spell, form letters, or put thoughts into writing.
Alexia is when a person has trouble reading words or understanding what they read because of a brain injury.
An amyloid PET scan looks for a substance called amyloid in the brain. Too much amyloid may be a sign of Alzheimer’s disease.
Anosognosia is when a person doesn’t realize they have a problem after a brain injury — like not knowing they have trouble speaking or moving. They aren’t pretending; their brain truly doesn’t notice the problem.
Anomia is trouble thinking of the right word, like a name or object, even when you know what you want to say.
Aphasia is a language problem caused by damage to the brain. It makes it hard to speak, understand, read, or write, but it does not change how smart a person is.
AAC means using other ways to communicate besides talking. This can include pictures, hand signs, writing, or special devices that help a person share their thoughts.
Automatic speech includes things people say without thinking, like “hello,” “thank you,” or “1, 2, 3.” These words often come out more easily, even if talking is hard.
Broca’s aphasia makes it hard to get words out. People may talk slowly, use short sentences, and leave out small words, but they can usually understand what others are saying.
Circumlocution means talking around a word when you can’t think of it. For example, saying “the thing you sit on” instead of “chair.”
Conduction aphasia makes it hard to repeat words or sentences, even though a person can understand speech and speak pretty clearly most of the time.
CBS is a brain disorder that can cause stiff or awkward movement, especially on one side of the body. It may also affect speech and thinking.
A CT scan takes detailed pictures of the inside of the body — like the brain — using X-rays. It helps doctors take a first look at the brain to see if something is wrong, like a stroke, but a lot of times a stronger scan is needed to get more information.
Dementia is a condition that causes it harder to do the things you used to do because thinking, remembering, and problem-solving skills have worsened over time.
Dysarthria is when the muscles used for talking (like the tongue, lips, or voice) are weak or hard to control. This can make speech sound slurred or hard to understand, but it doesn’t change a person’s thinking or understanding.
Dysphagia means having trouble swallowing. It can make eating or drinking harder and may cause food or drink to go down the wrong way.
An FDG-PET scan shows how the brain uses energy. It can help doctors see how well different parts of the brain are working.
Fluent aphasia means a person can speak in long sentences easily, but the words might not make sense or may be mixed up. It can also be hard for them to understand what others are saying.
This condition combines two serious illnesses — FTD and ALS — so a person may have trouble with behavior and language, along with weak muscles and movement problems.
FTD is a group of brain problems that affects personality, language skills, thinking, and/or body movements. It happens when parts in the font half of the brain slowly change over time.
Global aphasia is a very serious type of aphasia where a person has trouble with almost all parts of communication — talking, understanding, reading, and writing.
Hemiparesis means weakness on one side of the body. It can make it harder to move an arm, leg, or hand after a stroke or brain injury.
Jargon is speech that sounds like real sentences but doesn’t make sense. The person may not realize the words are mixed up or confusing.
Logopenic PPA makes it hard to find the right words and repeat long sentences. A person may speak slowly and pause often or make sound mistakes in words.
Mild Cognitive Impairment means someone is having more trouble with memory or thinking than usual for them, but they can still do most everyday activities.
An MRI is a special scan that uses magnets to take clear pictures of the brain. It helps doctors find changes caused by injury or illness.
Neurofatigue is a deep tiredness that happens after brain injury. It can make thinking, talking, or doing everyday things feel exhausting, even after resting.
Neuroplasticity means the brain can change and heal over time. After a brain injury, like a stroke, the brain can find new ways to help a person learn or improve their language skills.
Nonfluent PPA makes speech slow and hard to produce. A person might leave out little words (like “and” “or” “the”) and have trouble saying sounds clearly.
Nonfluent aphasia means speaking is slow, with short or incomplete sentences. It can take a lot of effort to talk, but understanding others is often better.
Perseveration is when someone repeats a word, idea, or action over and over without meaning to. It happens because the brain has trouble switching to something new.
PPA is a condition where a person’s ability to use and understand language gets worse over time. It happens because certain parts of the brain slowly change.
Primary Progressive Apraxia of Speech (PPAOS) is a condition where a person slowly loses the ability to move their mouth and tongue the right way to speak. Their thinking and understanding usually stay okay at first, but speaking becomes harder over time.
PSP is a brain condition that affects balance, movement, and speech. People may have trouble walking, making eye movements, or speaking clearly.
Counselor
A counselor helps people understand and cope with feelings, stress, or big life changes. They offer emotional support and tools to feel better.
Music Therapist (MT)
A music therapist uses music to help people express themselves, relax, or improve communication and movement.
Neurologist
A neurologist is a doctor who focuses on the brain and nervous system. They help determine the causes and treatments following stroke or brain injury.
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
A nurse practitioner is a nurse with advanced training. They can check your health, order tests, and also prescribe medicine.
Occupational Therapist (OT)
An OT helps people do everyday tasks like getting dressed, cooking, or using tools, as well as specialized habilitation of upper extremities (arms/hands).
Physiatrist
A physiatrist is a doctor who specializes in helping people recover movement and function after illness or injury. They create a plan to help the body heal and work better. They are often referred to as PM&R (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)
Physical Therapist (PT)
A PT helps people move better, get stronger, and manage pain through exercise and movement activities.
Physician Assistant (PA)
A PA is a licensed medical provider who works with doctors. They can check your health, suggest treatments, and write prescriptions.
Recreational Therapist (RT)
A recreational therapist uses fun and personalized activities like games, sports, or art to help people to help them stay active and stay engaged.
Social Worker
A social worker supports people with life challenges, connects them to services, and helps with things like housing, money, and family support.
Speech Pathologist or Speech Therapist or Speech / Language Pathologist
This specialist helps people speak, understand, read, write, or swallow. Speech Pathologists work in many settings with a variety of communication challenges and age groups. A Speech Pathologist is an essential team member for those impacted by aphasia.
Semantic PPA makes it hard to remember the names of things and understand or remember what words mean. Some people have a hard time reading and writing words that don’t look like they sound. Some have difficulty remembering facts about things around them.
Supported Conversation Techniques are ways to help someone with aphasia have better conversations. This can include using simple words, pictures, writing things down, or showing you understand what they are trying to say.
Transcortical aphasia is when a person has trouble talking or understanding, but they are still good at repeating what they hear.
Teletherapy means getting speech or language help through a computer, phone, or tablet, instead of going to a clinic. It lets people have therapy from home.
A visual field cut means a person can’t see to one side, usually the right or left. It’s not a problem with the eyes, but with how the brain processes vision.
Voice banking means saving recordings of your voice so you can still “speak” using a device if talking becomes hard later on.
Wernicke’s aphasia makes it hard for a person to understand what others are saying. They may speak in long sentences that sound smooth but may not make sense or use the wrong words. They might not realize they’re having trouble communicating.
