Aprosodia. A case report

Abstract

Introduction: prosody is the language component that includes the acoustic features that contextualize the message and provide meaning to discourse. There are two types: emotional and linguistic prosody. Aprosody refers to the deficit in the production and comprehension of these suprasegmental linguistic elements or prosodic cues. This condition is caused by damage to the right cerebral hemisphere, primarily due to a stroke or traumatic brain injury, resulting in cognitive and communicative impairments. Evaluation and diagnostic tests exist to detect typical communication difficulties in social interactions. Alterations in the expressive language quality affect interpersonal aspects of life, reducing participation, social engagement, interpersonal functioning, and quality of life for those who suffer from it. Therefore, treatment is tailored to the individual’s specific physiopathology. Objective: to present a clinical case of aprosody and the associated linguistic alterations. Case presentation: the case of a 56-year- old patient who experienced an ischemic vascular event in the right hemisphere is described. The «Western Aphasia Test» and the «Montreal Communication Evaluation Protocol» were administered, conducting a qualitative analysis of the patient’s disturbances in both expressive and receptive speech. Discussion: the initial evaluation of a patient with mixed aprosody is described, including its classification and the deficits he presented in suprasegmental language aspects. Conclusion: aprosody is a complex pathology that requires a multidisciplinary approach and comprehensive assessment. Different assessment tools are available that need to be utilized to diagnose it, providing potential areas for improvement in the affected patient rehabilitative care.