What is commonly observed in cases of global aphasia?

In cases of global aphasia, individuals experience profound impairments in both language comprehension and expression. This condition typically results from extensive damage to the language centers of the brain, particularly in the left hemisphere, affecting the abilities to speak and understand language significantly. Patients may struggle to form coherent sentences and have great difficulty comprehending spoken or written language, which leads to a more generalized inability to communicate effectively.

While other options refer to various aspects of language function, they do not align with the characteristics of global aphasia. For instance, fluent speech with good comprehension is more indicative of other types of aphasia, such as fluent or Wernicke’s aphasia. Similarly, strong ability to read and write does not occur in global aphasia, as reading and writing are also severely impacted. Lastly, normal articulation with poor understanding does not encapsulate the broad language challenges faced by those with global aphasia, where both understanding and expression are severely affected. Thus, the profound impairments in both comprehension and expression clearly define this condition.