After being informed that their father has experienced a stroke that has affected a portion of his cerebrum, the patient's family asks the nurse, "What effect will aphasia have on his life?" How should the nurse respond?

Question

1. "He will likely become depressed until he adjusts to the dysfunction."
2. "You'll have to speak very loudly when you talk."
3. "The way he communicates with you will change."
4. "Perhaps you should learn about the different options for speech therapy."

Answer 1

3
Rationale 1: Depression may occur, but it is not related to the patient's problems with verbal communication.
Rationale 2: Speaking loudly is more related to a hearing problem and would have little impact on the patient's ability to communicate verbally.
Rationale 3: Aphasia is the term used to denote problems with verbal communication. Broca's area in the cerebrum regulates verbal expression, the ability to say words.
Rationale 4: Speech therapy may be an option for rehabilitation, but this response does not address the family's question.