Which aphasia is characterized by impaired auditory comprehension and fluent speech?

Wernicke's aphasia is characterized by impaired auditory comprehension and fluent speech. Individuals with this type of aphasia often produce speech that flows smoothly and has a natural rhythm, but the content may be nonsensical or irrelevant. They typically have difficulty understanding language, both spoken and written, which leads to challenges in following conversations.

In Wernicke's aphasia, despite the fluent production of speech, the person's ability to grasp and respond appropriately to questions or commands is significantly compromised. This contrasts with other forms of aphasia, such as Broca's aphasia, where comprehension is relatively preserved but speech production is non-fluent or laborious. Global aphasia, on the other hand, impacts both comprehension and production severely, while conduction aphasia generally preserves auditory comprehension but causes issues with repeating phrases and can lead to circumlocution in speech. The specific characteristics of Wernicke's aphasia thus highlight the unique deficit of understanding while still maintaining the fluency of speech.