Question

Differentiate focal from diffuse damage. How would communication be impacted by each type of damage. Use 1 example of each to explain.

Answer 1

FOCAL DAMAGE	DIFFUSE DAMAGE
1) occurs in a specific location	1) occurs in a more widespread area
2) includes scalp injury, skull fracture, surface contusions and cerebral lacerations and haemorrhage.	2) includes hypoxic- ischemic damage, meningitis, DAI, and vascular injury.
3) caused by contact such as penetrating head injury, gun shot wounds, accidents.	3) caused by acceleration deceleration forces, diffused axonal injury.
4) occurs in a single location, however multiple areas could be affected by the event.	4) involves damage to various microstructures of the brain.

COMMUNICATION IMPACTED BY EACH TYPE OF DAMAGE:-

​​​​​Brain injury causes communication difficulties by impairing physical ability to speak rather than ability to express and understand language.

Patient with traumatic brain injury experience difficulties in finding words to express themselves or in understanding an idea through speech, writing and/ or reading.

Trauma/ injury to the BROCA's area affect the use of spontaneous speech and motor speech control and can cause muteness.

Main areas affected:-

1) BROCA's area - expressing language

2) Wernicke's area- understanding language

3) temporal area/lobe- memory, recognizing faces and generating language.

4) parietal lobe- perception, manipulating objects and spelling.

5) occipital lobe- for vision.

6) frontal lobe:- attention, social skills, and conscious movement.

EXAMPLE:-

If a speech center of the brain such as BROCA's area is damaged, problems with speech are common.