Anomic Aphasia

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**Anomic Aphasia**, also called **Nominal Aphasia**, is characterized by difficulty with naming objects and concepts while maintaining comprehension, fluency and repetition. It is considered a more milder form of aphasia. One's speech is fluent and grammatically correct, but it is vague, with words such as "thing," and circumlocutions, or the attempt to describe words one is trying to find. Individuals with anomic aphasia understand speech and can repeat words and sentences, and, in most cases, can read adequately.

## Signs & Symptoms

Individuals with anomic aphasia often forget verbs, nouns and pronouns when speaking or writing. They may use nonspecific words, such as "it" or "thing." They may be able to describe the function of the object, but cannot recall the name.

## Types of Anomic Aphasia

### Word Selection Anomia

Word selection anomia is the most common type of anomic aphasia. Individuals with this type are able to recognize objects, but have difficulty recalling the name, even with assistance.

### Semantic Anomia

Semantic anomia causes difficulty identifying an object, even when given the name.

### Word Production Anomia

Word production anomia is the mildest form of anomic aphasia. Those with this condition often feel like the word is on the tip of their tongue. They are able to recognize and retrieve the right word with correct prompts.

### Disconnection Anomia

Disconnection anomia occurs when communication between the sensory and language areas of the brain become damaged.

Disconnect anomia can be broken down into three subcategories.

#### Category-Specific Anomia

Category-specific anomia refers to the inability to identify one category of objects, such as animals or tools.

#### Modality-Specific Anomia

Modality-specific anomia causes difficulty identifying objects using a specific sense, such as sight or smell. The individual can usually still identify an object using other unaffected senses.

#### Callosal Anomia

Callosal anomia occurs when the corpus callosum of the brain is damaged. This causes difficulty transmitting information across the left and right brain hemispheres. If an individual holds an object in their right hand, they are able to identify it because sensory information is processed by the left side of the brain. However, if the individual holds an object in their left hand, they may struggle to identify it because sensory information needs to travel from the right hemisphere to the left hemisphere to process.

## Causes

Anomic aphasia is usually caused by damage to the brain's left hemisphere. In rare cases, it may be the result of damage to the right hemisphere. Anomic aphasia is known as a non-focal brain disease, meaning it isn't always caused by obvious damage to a specific part of the brain, unlike other types of aphasia usually caused by damage to a specific part of the brain.

Some potential causes for anomic aphasia include:

* Stroke
* Brain injury
* Brain tumor
* Neurodegenerative disease

Factors that may increase the risk of developing anomic aphasia include:

* High blood pressure
* High cholesterol
* Diabetes
* Heart disease
* Smoking
* Family history of stroke
* Sex, AMAB individuals have a higher risk
* Being overweight
* Alcohol misuse

## Treatment

Speech therapists can work with individuals with anomic aphasia on tasks to improve their naming and word-finding.

## References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/anomic-aphasia

https://www.aphasia.org/aphasia-resources/anomic-aphasia/

https://www.aphasia.com/aphasia-library/aphasia-types/anomic-aphasia/

https://www.healthline.com/health/anomic-aphasia

https://www.flintrehab.com/anomic-aphasia/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/medgen/312