Editing Receptive aphasia (section)

==Causes==

The most common cause of Wernicke's aphasia is [[stroke]]. Strokes may occur when blood flow to the brain is completely interrupted or severely reduced. This has a direct effect on the amount of oxygen and nutrients being able to supply the brain, which causes brain cells to die within minutes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stroke|url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/symptoms-causes/syc-20350113|access-date=14 December 2020|website=Mayo Clinic|publisher=Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research}}</ref>

The most common stroke that causes Wernicke's Aphasia is an ischemic stroke affecting the posterior temporal lobe of the dominant hemisphere of the brain.<ref name=":1" />

"The middle cerebral arteries supply blood to the cortical areas involved in speech, language and swallowing. The left middle cerebral artery provides Broca's area, Wernicke's area, Heschl's gyrus, and the angular gyrus with blood".<ref name="McCaffrey">{{cite web|last1=McCaffrey|first1=P.|title=Medical aspects: Blood supply in the brain|url=https://www.csuchico.edu/~pmccaffrey/syllabi}}</ref> Therefore, in patients with Wernicke's aphasia, there is typically an occlusion to the left middle cerebral artery.<ref name="Brookshire" />

As a result of the occlusion in the left middle cerebral artery, Wernicke's aphasia is most commonly caused by a lesion in the posterior superior temporal gyrus (Wernicke's area).<ref name="Brookshire" /> This area is posterior to the primary auditory cortex (PAC) which is responsible for decoding individual speech sounds. Wernicke's primary responsibility is to assign meaning to these speech sounds. The extent of the lesion will determine the severity of the patients deficits related to language. Damage to the surrounding areas (perisylvian region) may also result in Wernicke's aphasia symptoms due to variation in individual neuroanatomical structure and any co-occurring damage in adjacent areas of the brain.<ref name="Brookshire" />

Another common cause of Wernicke's aphasia is encephalitis, specifically around the posterior superior temporal gyrus. Encephalitis is the inflammation of the brain, which can be a result of infection, autoimmune disorders, or chronic substance abuse, among others.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Encephalitis - Symptoms and causes |url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/encephalitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20356136 |access-date=2023-12-29 |website=Mayo Clinic |language=en}}</ref>

Other causes of Wernicke's Aphasia include brain trauma, cerebral tumors, central nervous system (CNS) infections, and degenerative brain disorders.<ref name=":1" />

In the case of brain tumors, infections, or degenerative brain disorders, examples in which damage to the brain can be ongoingly progressive, it is likely that the aphasia will coincidingly progress as well, and symptoms will worsen if the cause is not treated.