Migraine aura oddities - Aphasia and Transient Aphasia

Aphasia - neurologic difficulty processing language, either given or received.

Migraine aura is shocking when it takes a visual form. It is strange indeed when aura results in symptoms of the other senses - touch, sound, taste, smell. Alice in Wonderland Syndrome describes the strange sensation of other-worldliness that is experienced by some people. Now, imagine the shock of suddenly losing the ability to speak or understand language.

There are three basic types and of aphasia. If it comes and goes, it is called Transient. If it does not go away, it is called Aphasia. A person who is suffering aphasia is called Aphasic.

Different areas of the brain are responsible for different parts of language, which includes reading, writing, speaking, understanding, and calculations (math). It is not a common type of aura, but it does happen and should be taken very seriously. Unfortunately, these auras can imitate stroke and TIA's so perfectly that it can be very difficult to tell which it is, even by physicians. Although the symptoms may feel the same, the two start out very differently.

Stroke and TIA usually are the result of either a blockage of blood flow to the brain resulting in damage and death of neurons, or a bleed which deprives surrounding neurons of needed oxygen.

In Migraine aura, the symptoms occur as a result of spreading cortical depression. A wave of neurologic activity flows across the brain resulting in disruption. The location of the wave determines what type of aura you experience. If the wave involves the area responsible for eyesight, you will see visual oddities. If it flows thru the part of the brain that is responsible for smell, you might smell something odd that isn't there. In the case of transient aphasia, the wave involves the areas of your brain that help you recognize and create communication.

Someone with aphasia has not lost intellect. They may be able to understand you, but not answer you. They may be able to answer but only a word or two. They may not be able to add or subtract, read or write. They may have trouble finding the correct names for things, even the subjects they may be talking about. They may have strange reactions, such as laughing inappropriately. Describing something may not be possible for them. For more information on the different types of aphasia, please visit The National Aphasia Association.

Aphasia of any type is frightening. When you are suffering from its severe forms, you are cut off from the world. I've been to many other countries, but aphasia is much worse than simply not speaking the language of the land. To me, it's more like sitting in an empty house, watching television that is in another language. You can't talk to them, and you may have trouble understanding them if they try to speak to you. You can't interact with them. It's embarrassing when people assume your intellect is impaired. They don't understand your frustration (which can become profound) and isolation, but often continue on as if you aren't there.

The NAA has an excellent page that helps family members to communicate and can be found HERE. Aphasia Hope has a forum for those dealing with the condition. Those who have suffered a non-transient form of aphasia may find special speech therapy software helpful in rehabilitation. One version is found HERE. For an amazing description of aphasia, you can see the video posted here on WEGO Health about a neuro-anatomist who suffered a stroke called Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight
Do you suffer transient aphasia as part of Migraine aura?
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