What is aphasia?

Aphasia is specifically defined as a language disorder that affects communication. This can manifest in various ways, including difficulties with speaking, understanding spoken language, reading, or writing. The core issue in aphasia is not related to the physical ability to produce speech, as a person with aphasia can often still move their mouth and vocal cords normally; rather, it is the processing of language that is impaired.

The correct answer highlights that aphasia affects an individual's ability to use and understand language, which can occur due to brain damage, most commonly from strokes or traumatic brain injuries. This differentiates aphasia from speech production disorders or physical inability to speak, which focus on different aspects of communication and do not encompass the full spectrum of language processing issues that characterize aphasia. While other disorders like hearing impairment and speech production problems are significant, they do not define aphasia specifically, which is centered around language abilities.