Which anatomical site is most likely to be affected?

An 82-year-old man has woken up with incoherent speech and difficulty in finding the right words. Exam: good comprehension.

Which anatomical site is most likely to be affected?
A . Pons
B . Wernicke’s area
C . Broca’s area
D . Midbrain
E . Parietal cortex

View Answer

Answer: C

Explanation:

A person with expressive aphasia will exhibit halting and effortful speech. Speech m important content words. Word comprehension is preserved. The person may still be understood, but sentence grammatical. This contrasts with receptive or Wernicke’s aphasia, which is distinguished by a patient’s inability comprehend language or speak with appropriately meaningful words though fluency, may be preserved.