Loss of ability to understand or express language due to brain injury or disease is called?

• A. Aphasia
• B. Dysphasia
• C. Mealtime Assessment
• D. Nutritional Assessment Components

Answer: (A)

Language impairment after brain injury or disease is called aphasia. It happens when areas of the brain responsible for language—often in the left hemisphere—are damaged, affecting either understanding, producing, or both. People with aphasia may struggle to find the right words, follow conversations, read, or write, even though their intellect remains intact.

Aphasia is the established medical term used in practice. Dysphasia is a less precise or less commonly used variant in some contexts, and it does not capture the full scope of language loss as clearly as aphasia. The other options refer to nutrition or mealtime assessment, which are unrelated to language function.

In care settings, recognizing aphasia guides appropriate communication strategies and referrals to speech-language pathology to support safe and effective interaction.