NIHSS Language and Aphasia 2

Question 1

A patient with stroke can name objects but cannot repeat phrases spoken to them. Which aphasia type does this best describe?

Accepted Answer

Conduction aphasia

Answer

Conduction aphasia is characterized by intact naming and comprehension but severely impaired repetition due to damage to the arcuate fasciculus.

Question 2

On the NIHSS Item 9 (Language), a patient follows simple commands but cannot read a sentence aloud. What score is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

1 — mild to moderate aphasia

Answer

Partial language loss with some evident comprehension or expression difficulty scores a 1 on NIHSS Item 9.

Question 3

Which standardized picture scene is used in the NIHSS to assess language by having the patient describe what they see?

Accepted Answer

The 'cookie theft' picture

Answer

The NIHSS uses the 'cookie theft' picture from the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination to elicit spontaneous language.

Question 4

A patient scores 3 on NIHSS Item 9. Which clinical presentation matches this score?

Accepted Answer

Mute, no usable speech or auditory comprehension

Answer

A score of 3 on NIHSS Language indicates global aphasia: mute or with no useful communication ability.

Question 5

Which lobe of the brain, when infarcted, most commonly produces expressive (Broca's) aphasia?

Accepted Answer

Left frontal lobe

Answer

Broca's area is located in the left inferior frontal gyrus (Brodmann areas 44 and 45), and its infarction causes expressive aphasia.

NIHSS - National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Practice Test