Diagnosis

Your doctor will likely give you a physical and a neurological exam, test your strength, feeling and reflexes, and listen to your heart and the vessels in your neck. He or she will likely request an imaging test, usually an MRI, to quickly identify what's causing the aphasia.

You'll also likely undergo tests and informal observations to assess your language skills, such as the ability to:

• Name common objects
• Engage in a conversation
• Understand and use words correctly
• Answer questions about something read or heard
• Repeat words and sentences
• Follow instructions
• Answer yes-no questions and respond to open-ended questions about common subjects
• Read and write