Which term denotes impairment of speech, language, or communication?

• A. Aphakia
• B. Arthritis
• C. Aphasia
• D. Entropion

Answer: (C)

Aphasia is impairment of speech, language, or communication. It results from damage to language areas of the brain, often after a stroke or head injury, and can affect speaking, understanding, reading, or writing. People may have expressive aphasia (difficulty producing speech), receptive aphasia (difficulty understanding language), or global aphasia (both). This makes it the term that directly describes problems with language function, unlike the other terms.

Aphakia refers to the absence of the eye’s lens, leading to vision issues; arthritis is inflammation of the joints; entropion is an inward turning of the eyelid. These are unrelated to language or communication, which is why aphasia is the correct term here.