You’ve heard of a stroke, but have you heard of aphasia? One in three stroke survivors experience language challenges. Learn how to reduce your risk and prepare for recovery.
Aphasia, a condition affecting approximately 3-4 million people in the U.S., often goes unnoticed despite its profound impact on communication and daily life. In recognition of Aphasia Awareness Month this June, the Aphasia Lab at Portland State University is leading efforts to raise awareness about aphasia, stroke preparedness and innovative research aimed at maximizing aphasia recovery.
Aphasia is an acquired language impairment that affects a person’s ability to speak, understand spoken information, read and/or write. It most commonly occurs after a stroke and can have a big impact on daily activities, social relationships, healthcare access and overall well-being. To shed more light on living with aphasia, members of the Portland community are sharing their personal stories.
Roscoe Lawless, a retired architect, underwent heart surgery four years ago and suffered a stroke following surgery. His stroke impacted parts of the brain responsible for language and resulted in aphasia. While aphasia symptoms and recovery processes vary from person to person, the most common and most persistent symptom is word-finding difficulty.
“I can say, but I don't say,” Lawless said, highlighting the basic hallmark of aphasia – knowing what you want to say, but not finding the words.
Michael Johnston had his stroke at the start of the pandemic due to COVID-19-related complications. As a pharmacist working in the ICU at the time, he was familiar with the warning signs of stroke and credits his survival to acting fast.
“If you have anything to do with stroke, call 9-1-1," he said. "That's it, just do it."
Johnston, who recently participated in PSU’s speech therapy group for people with aphasia, recounted his experience.
“Every week you learn something new," he said. "Sometimes I learn by teaching other people stuff because some people don't speak, so you have to use a computer and sometimes they teach me stuff. It's like a family.”
Gerasimos Fergadiotis, a professor of speech and hearing sciences and lead researcher at PSU's Aphasia Lab, emphasizes the importance of speech therapy and aphasia research.
"Aphasia can be isolating and frustrating for both individuals and their families," he said. "Our research aims to streamline assessment methods so that speech therapy can be custom-tailored to the patient and improve communication for everyone involved."
Lawless' wife Sue shared why they volunteer for aphasia research: “[Aphasia] changes your whole life, and then it becomes where most people would isolate themselves because they can't communicate well. We just felt it would be important to, in some little way, to help out.”
About the Aphasia Lab
The PSU Aphasia Lab is located in Portland, Oregon within Portland State University’s Speech and Hearing Sciences department. The Aphasia Lab’s research focuses on developing more accurate and efficient aphasia assessment tools for improved patient outcomes. Our mission is to advance the scientific understanding of aphasia and serve as a hub to meet the needs of the local aphasia community. Visit our website to learn more and get connected to aphasia-related resources and opportunities. Contact us to ask questions or volunteer in our current aphasia study.
For more information, contact:
Gerasimos Fergadiotis
Principal Investigator, Aphasia Lab Director
503-725-3275
aphasialab@pdx.edu