Abstract
Since the end of the 19th century, aphasia has been classified into several types from the perspective of syndromes, i. E., sets of symptoms. Wernicke's aphasia is one of those syndromes. From the standpoint of planning the best intervention strategies for individual aphasic subjects, classification of aphasia by syndrome is insufficient, however. In this paper, it is emphasized that definition of aphasia subtypes based on the mechanisms underlying symptoms is most important for arriving the optimum choice of training method. The six-year course of rehabilitation and recovery of a typical subject who satisfied the definition of Wernicke's aphasia from the standpoint of underlying mechanisms was presented. It was revealed that Wernicke's aphasia shows long-term recovery with appropriate intervention during the recovery stages in which the underlying mechanisms continue to change. Finally, the psychiatric aspects of Wernicke's aphasia which must not be overlooked in the course of rehabilitation were discussed.
