Abstract

Background: Aphasia is more common in men than women. This could be as a consequence that stroke is more common in men than women. Aphasia would be more severe in men than in women. A recent study showed that Broca’s aphasia was more common in women than men. The relationship between education and aphasia is unclear. Education can affect the representation of language in the brain. Right-handed subjects with higher education tend to have the language more lateralized to the left, while lower education may represent bilateral. Aims: The purpose of this study was to analyze the aphasia type distribution in men and women as well as the aphasia severity and its interaction with the educational level. Methods & procedures: I selected a sample of aphasic patients of vascular origin of which 119 were men and 81 women with age of 57.37years (SD = 15.56 =), education of 13.52 years (SD = 4.08), and mean time post-onset of 6.58 months (SD = 12.94). Spanish versions of the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB-R) and Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE) were used for language assessment. Outcomes & results: There was a significant difference in education between both genders. The men had a better education. In contrast, there were no significant differences between men and women in age, severity and time of evolution. 72.73% of conduction aphasia, 66.66% of transcortical motor aphasia, 63.33% of Wernicke’s aphasia and mixed non-fluent aphasia were men. Broca’s aphasias are significantly more severe in men than in women Conclusions: Aphasia was more frequent in men. The severity, age and time of evolution were not different between both genders in the total sample. Conduction aphasia, Wernicke’s aphasia, transcortical motor aphasia, and mixed non-fluent aphasia were more frequent in men. Broca’s aphasia was less severe in women.

Keywords

aphasia by stroke, aphasia sex and education, aphasia severity