Perturbações da Linguagem: o que são e tratamento em Lisboa

LANGUAGE PERTURBATIONS - Treatment in Lisbon

Neuropsychological assessment and advanced communication rehabilitation in Lisbon

WHAT ARE LANGUAGE DISORDERS?

Reabilitação neurológica e terapia da fala na Afasia — NeuroPsyque Lisboa

A breakdown in the brain's communication networks

Language disorders, of which Aphasia is the most limiting, resulting from lesions in the brain areas responsible for understanding and producing words (usually in the left hemisphere). This condition robs the person of the ability to communicate effectively - whether speaking, understanding, reading or writing - and isolates them, although their intelligence remains intact.

Most common manifestations

Expressive Aphasia (Broca's Aphasia)
Extreme difficulty in finding words and forming sentences. Speech is made with a lot of effort, using short sentences, but comprehension is usually preserved.
Recurrent Aphasia (Wernicke's Aphasia)
The person speaks fluently, but the sentences make no sense (use of invented words) and there is serious difficulty in understanding what others are saying.
Anomia
A persistent and frustrating difficulty in remembering the correct names of everyday objects, people, places or actions.
Dysarthria and Apraxia of Speech
Motor disorders: physical difficulty in articulating sounds or coordinating the movements needed to speak clearly.

CAUSES AND RISK FACTORS

Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA)

The most common cause of aphasia. Interruption of blood flow or haemorrhage in the brain directly affects the language areas (usually in the left hemisphere).

Vascular

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Accidents, serious falls or strong impacts that cause damage and swelling in the brain tissue, compromising neural communication networks.

Traumatic

Neurodegenerative diseases

Slowly progressing conditions, such as Primary Progressive Aphasia or Alzheimer's Disease, which gradually atrophy the language areas of the brain.

Degenerative

Brain Tumours and Infections

Tumour masses that compress the language centres or severe infections (such as encephalitis) that cause inflammation and destruction of neurons.

Structural / Infectious

Mapeamento das áreas da linguagem no cérebro afetadas pela Afasia

The severity of the symptoms depends directly on the exact location and extent of the neurological damage.

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EFFECTIVENESS IN THE REHABILITATION OF LANGUAGE

Results based on meta-analyses on neuroplasticity, intensive speech therapy and neuromodulation in aphasia

75%

improvement in functional communication with intensive and early speech therapy intervention (effect size ~1.83× higher than the untreated group)

60%

of accelerated recovery when combining Speech Therapy with Neuromodulation (EMT/tDCS), according to a meta-analysis of studies with rTMS in post-stroke aphasia

3×

better results in the patient's well-being and quality of life when the family receives psychoeducation and communication support strategies

80%

of patients with aphasia manage to regain significant levels of communicative autonomy with integrated and continuous neurocognitive rehabilitation

* Language recovery depends on the time that has passed since the injury, the intensity of the rehabilitation and the combination of therapeutic approaches.

Sources: clinical data, NIH/PubMed - Meta-analysis of Speech and Language Therapy in aphasia (effect size 1.83 for early intervention); NIH/PubMed - Meta-analysis of rTMS combined with SLT in post-stroke aphasia (2025, significant improvements in naming, repetition and spontaneous speech); AHA/Stroke Journal - SLT dosage and clinical gains in aphasia recovery.

TECHNOLOGY AND THE THERAPEUTIC ENVIRONMENT

Avaliação neuropsicológica das redes da linguagem

Estimulação Magnética Transcraniana (EMT) no apoio à reabilitação da afasia

Mapeamento Cerebral (qEEG) e diagnóstico topográfico

Salas de Terapia da Fala e Reabilitação Cognitiva

Espaço Clínico NeuroPsyque - Ambiente Seguro para Terapia

THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY REHABILITATION

Aphasia traps a person's intellect and identity behind a communication barrier. Realising that your relative still thinks, feels and knows exactly what they want to say - they've just lost access to the "dictionary" and "motor mechanism" to express it - is the first and most important step.

💡 Neuroplasticity - the brain's ability to create new connections to compensate for damaged areas - is most intense in the first few months after injury (as in a stroke). Acting quickly is key.

At NeuroPsyque, our approach is totally person-centred, not just symptom-centred. We combine recurrent neuropsychological assessments, non-invasive neuromodulation protocols and coordination with other therapies, such as speech therapy. Our aim is to stimulate specific brain areas to take over language functions, restoring maximum autonomy to the patient and providing vital communication tools to carers and family members.

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Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ's about Aphasia

Does aphasia affect the patient's intelligence?

No. This is one of the biggest myths and the main source of frustration for sufferers. Aphasia masks competence. The person's intelligence, thoughts and memories remain intact: the problem lies exclusively in the "channel" for accessing and expressing language.

Will the person speak like they used to?

The degree of recovery varies significantly depending on the cause (e.g. in the case of stroke, size, location, etc.), age, and how quickly treatment begins. Some people recover almost completely, while others develop compensatory strategies or use alternative ways (such as drawing or technology) to communicate effectively.

What is the difference between aphasia and dysarthria?

Aphasia is a language problem (difficulty understanding or finding words in the brain). Dysarthria is a strictly motor problem (the person knows the exact words, but the muscles of the mouth, tongue and vocal folds are weak or paralysed, resulting in "slurred" speech). They can, however, occur simultaneously.

How does neuromodulation help in speech therapy?

Technologies such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (EMT) or the Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) act directly on the cerebral cortex. The aim is not to replace speech therapy, but to prepare and "excite" the healthy neural areas (or inhibit those that are creating interference in the opposite hemisphere) so that the brain assimilates and retains the therapy exercises much more easily and effectively. Neuromodulation is also extremely effective in treating potential conditions associated with anxiety e depression. The evaluation consultation is carried out in the speciality of Neurology.

How long does the treatment take?

Language rehabilitation is a "marathon" and not a "sprint". The most substantial gains occur in the first 6 to 12 months after the injury (due to the peak of neuroplasticity), but recent evidence shows that patients can continue to improve remarkably even several years after the injury, as long as they continue to be stimulated correctly.

How should the family communicate to help and not frustrate?

Keep conversations simple and in a normal, adult tone of voice (there's no need to shout or speak as if to a child). Give the person time to process the question and formulate the answer, avoid finishing sentences for them, and use gestures, pictures or "Yes/No" questions if necessary. Contact us for specialised family support.