When we communicate through words we usually use various forms of expression. There are people who are more emphatic when expressing an emotion or an idea and others vary their tone of voice when referring to a particular fact. In most cases, we most likely emphasize the most important points of our experience.
The celebrities who appear in the media are interested in provoking some type of emotion in us when we listen to them, which is why they try to generate nuances with their voices. In everyday life this also happens without us realizing it. Without realizing it, we sing various melodies, but there are people who find it difficult to interpret these voice variations. If you want to know more about this, in this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about the aprosody: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment.
What is aprosody
When we mention aprosody, we refer to a language disorder linked to difficulties in oral expression due to lesions in the right hemisphere of the brain. In other words, aprosody consists of a inability to correctly interpret different intonationsaccents and tones of voice that occur when speaking.
Although it is not completely defined, it is possible to distinguish aprosody within the group of specific language disorders based on the characteristics implied by the clinical picture. In this way, a series of diagnostic criteria are established that must be present in order to make the diagnosis:
- Difficulties in language acquisition and use in all its modalities (written, oral) due to problems in understanding. Find out what the are.
- Limited vocabulary.
- Limited grammatical structure.
- Disadvantages in the use of speech: problems connecting sentences, explaining meanings, etc.
- Language abilities are below age parameters.
- Deterioration in job performancesocial and academic.
- The alterations are not explained by another neurological disorder.
Types of aprosody
Aprosody can manifest itself in different ways. For this reason, we are going to show you what are the three types of aprosody that exist:
- expressive aprosody: As its name indicates, this type of aprosody entails difficulties in communicating the message you want to convey. In these cases, it is common for there to be monotony in the voice, as well as a lack of intonation and emotion.
- Comprehensive Aprosody: This type of aprosody refers to the difficulties linked to understanding the words and gestures of other people. It is important to mention that, in some cases, it is not a problem for expressing ideas.
- Mixed Aprosody: It is a combination of the elements present in both expressive and comprehensive aprosody. As a result of these circumstances, it is possible to glimpse aspects of both types.
Symptoms of aprosody
Aprosody manifests itself in various ways. Knowing its symptoms allows us to address the problem and avoid further complications. In this sense, below, we will highlight the main symptoms of aprosody:
- Difficulty recognizing variations in other people’s voices.
- Neutral and monotone voice.
- Lack of intonation, rhythm, emphasis and tonalities in the voice.
- Problems expressing ideas.
Although these clinical indicators can help to glimpse the symptoms of aprosody, it is necessary to keep in mind that The diagnosis must be carried out by a professional of mental health, given that he will be in charge of evaluating the characteristics of each patient.
Causes of aprosody
First of all, it is necessary to understand that there are factors that influence the development of this language disorder. Next, we will explain the most frequent causes of aprosody:
- Strokes: At a general level, this language disorder is linked to brain lesions located mainly in the right hemisphere of the brain. This sector is responsible for emotional processing and expression. When one of these areas is injured, one of the possible consequences may be some type of aprosody. To understand it better, we recommend you read this article about .
- Genetic alterations: genetic inheritance plays a fundamental role in the origin of aprosody. In this sense, if one of the parents has certain chromosomes with some modification, it is possible that they could suffer from aprosody. Thus, the transmission of genes may be one of the causes of aprosody.
Treatment of aprosody
Despite the difficulties that the symptoms of aprosody entail, fortunately today there are treatments that have shown good prognoses against this disorder. In the following items, we will talk about the main approaches to treating aprosody:
- Neurology: Taking into account the organic basis of aprosody, neurological treatment emphasizes the recomposition of some affected areas that affect the development of the clinical picture.
- Psychoeducation: This type of approach attempts to establish tools that can facilitate communication for patients with aprosody. This occurs thanks to the implementation of social situations in which we gradually learn about emotional expressions and the nuances of people’s voices.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: Panamericana Medical Publishing.
- Leiva, S., Difalcis, M., López, C., Margulis, L., Micciuli, A., Abusamra, V., Ferreres, A. (2017). Dissociations between emotional and linguistic prosody in patients with brain lesions in the right hemisphere. Liberabit, Journal of Psychology, 23 (2), 211-232.