Conduction aphasia presents as a deficit in what?

• A. Repetition
• B. Comprehension
• C. Fluency
• D. Naming

Answer: (A)

Conduction aphasia is best characterized by a marked difficulty with repeating spoken language, even though understanding speech and producing fluent, reasonably well-formed speech are relatively preserved. The disruption comes from a disconnection between language comprehension and production networks, typically due to damage to the arcuate fasciculus linking Wernicke’s (comprehension) and Broca’s (production) areas. As a result, patients can understand what is said and can speak fluently, but when asked to repeat words or sentences, they struggle, often producing phonemic errors and self-corrections. Naming and overall speech fluency are generally better preserved, which helps distinguish this pattern from other aphasias where repetition is not the primary intact function.