conduction aphasia, a dissociative speech phenomenon in which a patient has no difficulty in comprehending words seen or heard and no dysarthria, yet has problems in self-expression. The patient may substitute words similar in sound or meaning for the correct ones but is unable to repeat from dictation, to spell, or to read aloud. The patient is alert and aware of the deficit. A common cause is an embolus in a branch of the middle cerebral artery. The caregiver should try to reduce tension and frustration in the patient, encourage socialization, find alternate means of communication for the patient, use simple language and direct questions requiring simple answers, and help the family to understand the problem and effectively cope with it. See also aphasia.
