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INTRO (make sure to use their references!)

Receptive aphasia, also known as Wernicke’s aphasia, fluent aphasia, or sensory aphasia, is a type of aphasia in which an individual is unable to understand language in its written or spoken form. Even though they can speak with normal grammar, syntax, rate, and intonation, they typically have difficulty expressing themselves meaningfully using language. Wernicke's aphasia was named after Carl Wernicke who recognized this condition.^[1] People with Wernicke's aphasia are typically unaware of how they are speaking and do not realize it may lack meaning. ^[2] They typically remain unaware of even their most profound language deficits. When experienced with Broca's aphasia the patient displays global aphasia.

It should be noted that like many mental disorders Wernicke's aphasia can be experienced in many different ways and to many different degrees. The typical case shows severely disturbed language comprehension however many individuals are still able to maintain conversations. Many may only experience difficulties with things such as accents and fast speech with the occasional speech error and can often carry out simple commands. Not all individuals show a complete loss of language comprehension. What is described here is what is referred to as a "textbook" example with the typical, fully expressed symptoms.

Receptive aphasia is not to be confused with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome or Broca's aphasia.

Presentation / Symptoms

Wernicke's aphasia results from damage to Wernicke's area located posterior to the lateral sulcus in the left hemisphere. This area is adjacent to the auditory cortex. The damage is most often the result of a stroke however damage to Wernicke's area is also possible through blunt force trauma from accidents. The onset of the disorder is therefore very sudden. However it is possible for the symptoms to begin gradually with nonsensical utterances and word-finding issues appearing in the individual's speech.

When beset with Wernicke's aphasia an individual primarily loses their ability to comprehend language. This typically takes the form of both an inability to understand speech as well as written text. They also lose the ability to understand their own spoken language. This inability to understand language is usually accompanied with symptoms of Anosognosia.This means that despite being unable to understand others speech and their own, they are unaware of the fact that they have the disorder. When attempting to communicate with others they often take situational cues in order to maintain the conversation. It should also be noted that despite being afflicted with Wernicke's aphasia individuals typically retain almost all of their cognitive abilities outside of those related to understanding language. Wernicke's aphasia, unlike Broca's aphasia often occurs without any motor deficits.

Because of their difficulty understanding their own speech individuals with Wernicke's aphasia often display symptoms of Anomia (word-finding issues) and Paraphasia. A person with Wernicke's aphasia speaks with normal prosody and intonation but uses random or invented nonwords, leaves out key words, substitutes words or verb tenses, pronouns, or prepositions, and utters sentences that do not make sense. Therefore, their expressive language is often devoid of any meaning. Other symptoms can include a loss of verbal pragmatic skills and conversational turn-taking. Also there will often be substitutions of words and unfinished sentences. However it should be noted that despite their difficulties in forming sentences that make sense they do speak fluently. Sentences are typically grammatically correct. This fluent, although nonsensical speech is often referred to as "word salad". This is part of what makes Wernicke's aphasia so strange, the juxtaposition between perfectly fluent speech and the lack of meaning. Patients also display logorrhoea, a nonstop output of words during spontaneous speech. The rate of speech errors produced is variable, with some patients showing only 10% of productions being errors and others showing up to 80% of speech production being incorrect.

This is an example of an interaction between an individual with severe Wernicke's aphasia and a clinician.

Q. "What is your speech problem?"

A. "Because no one gotta scotta gowan thwa, thirst, gell, gerst, derund, gystrol, that's all."

Q. "What does "swell-headed" mean?"

A. "She is selfice on purpiten."

Spontaneous speech from the same individual showing logorrhea symptoms.

"Then he graf, so I'll graf, I'm giving ink, no gerfergen, in pane, I can't grasp, I haven't grob the grabben, I'm going to the glimmeril, let me go."

"What my fytisset for, whattim tim saying got dok arne gimmin my suit, suit ti Friday . . . I ayre here what takes zwei the cuppen seffer effer sepped . . . I spoke on she asked for clubbin hond here, you what, what kind of a siz sizzen . . . and she speaks all the friend and all is in my herring."

As a result, these individuals often display logorrhea, a nonstop output of speech. ^[4] 

A person with this aphasia cannot understand the spoken words of others or read written words. Speech is preserved, but language content is incorrect. Substitutions of one word for another (paraphasias, e.g. “telephone” for “television”) are common. Comprehension and repetition are poor.^{[citation needed]}

The ability to utter profanity is also left unaffected due to the typical association of profanity with emotional outbursts and emphasis, not with the meaning of the word itself (needs citation)

If Wernicke’s area is damaged in the non-dominant hemisphere, the syndrome resulting will be sensory dysprosody^{[citation needed]} — the inability to perceive the pitch, rhythm, and emotional tone of speech. (citation needed)

Patients who communicated using sign language before the onset of the aphasia experience analogous symptoms.^[5]