Virgil is a resident recovering from a recent stroke. He often becomes frustrated because he was not able to understand your directives. This is an example of

Virgil is a resident recovering from a recent stroke. He often becomes frustrated because he was not able to understand your directives. This is an example of

• A. Receptive aphasia
• B. Expressive aphasia
• C. Congenital hearing loss
• D. An emotional deficit

Answer: (A)

Difficulty understanding spoken language after brain injury is called receptive aphasia. After a stroke, damage to language areas can make it hard to process what is being said, so directives aren’t understood even though hearing may be fine. The person may speak fluently but with words that don’t make sense in the context, and they often become frustrated because they can’t grasp the instructions. This is different from expressive aphasia, where the challenge is forming words and speaking clearly even though the person may understand instructions. Congenital hearing loss involves hearing problems present from birth, not a post-stroke language issue. An emotional deficit would reflect mood or affect changes rather than an inability to understand speech. In care, use simple, one-step directions, speak slowly, check understanding with cues or gestures, and consider written or visual aids to improve comprehension.

Difficulty understanding spoken language after brain injury is called receptive aphasia. After a stroke, damage to language areas can make it hard to process what is being said, so directives aren’t understood even though hearing may be fine. The person may speak fluently but with words that don’t make sense in the context, and they often become frustrated because they can’t grasp the instructions. This is different from expressive aphasia, where the challenge is forming words and speaking clearly even though the person may understand instructions. Congenital hearing loss involves hearing problems present from birth, not a post-stroke language issue. An emotional deficit would reflect mood or affect changes rather than an inability to understand speech. In care, use simple, one-step directions, speak slowly, check understanding with cues or gestures, and consider written or visual aids to improve comprehension.