Aphemia as a presenting symptom in acute stroke.

Aphemia is an apraxia of speech characterized by complete articulatory failure in the presence of preserved writing, comprehension and oropharyngeal function and can be the presenting manifestation of acute stroke. The responsible lesion is commonly in the left inferior frontal gyrus or the left motor cortex near the face M1 area. Three patients who developed aphemia due to acute ischemic stroke are described here. All had apraxia of speech due to acute infarct in the left motor cortex near face M1 area. Understanding the underlying speech disorder is crucial in planning the appropriate rehabilitation strategy.