Inability to read or write corresponds to which aphasia type? (alternative phrasing)

Inability to read or write corresponds to which aphasia type? (alternative phrasing)

• A. Aphasia
• B. Broca's aphasia
• C. Wernicke's aphasia
• D. Global aphasia

Answer: (D)

Global aphasia is when language impairment spans all modalities: speaking, understanding, reading, and writing. If a person cannot read or write, it signals widespread disruption of the language networks in the dominant hemisphere, not just a single function. Broca's aphasia mainly disrupts speech production with relatively preserved comprehension (though reading and writing can be affected). Wernicke's aphasia involves fluent but often meaningless speech with poor comprehension, and reading/writing are impaired but not always completely lost. Global aphasia, by contrast, shows severe deficits across speaking, understanding, reading, and writing, which is why it best explains an inability to read or write.

Global aphasia is when language impairment spans all modalities: speaking, understanding, reading, and writing. If a person cannot read or write, it signals widespread disruption of the language networks in the dominant hemisphere, not just a single function. Broca's aphasia mainly disrupts speech production with relatively preserved comprehension (though reading and writing can be affected). Wernicke's aphasia involves fluent but often meaningless speech with poor comprehension, and reading/writing are impaired but not always completely lost. Global aphasia, by contrast, shows severe deficits across speaking, understanding, reading, and writing, which is why it best explains an inability to read or write.