RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Aphasia is an acquired language impairment, initially identified and described before the 19th century. According to traditional models (Wernicke-Lichtheim-Geschwind) the aphasic symptoms can be clustered into particular syndromes, such as Broca's, Wernicke's, Conduction aphasias, and more. Each syndrome is allegedly associated with a specific anatomical site. The major motivation for this model was to use the behavioral symptoms to learn about language and brain relationships. However, current advanced imaging techniques identify more precisely the loci of the deficit. Moreover, the model frequently fails to adequately describe the clinical symptoms, a description that is crucial for understanding the language deficit and for choosing the relevant treatment. For more than three decades, two alternative models are being used in the clinical setting and in research. First, the psycholinguistic model, which describes the normal stages that are involved in language processing. On the basis of this model it is possible to detect, for each individual with aphasia, the specific impaired stage or stages underlying the language deficits. Second, the social model of aphasia based on the ICF definitions of the World Health Organization. According to this model, it is suggested that the speech therapy intervention should focus not only on the language deficits but also on communication per se in order to enable the individual with aphasia to communicate with others despite the language deficits. In the current paper we will review these two models and their clinical implications.
