Introduction
Aphasia, an acquired language disorder, can affect a person’s
ability to understand or formulate language1. Stroke is the
most common cause2. Broca’s aphasia is an expressive
aphasia, a non-fluent aphasia, and currently, it is accepted
that two main variants exist3. In one true Broca’s aphasia,
extensive damage involves the Broca’s area, the surrounding
frontal fields, the underlying white matter and basal ganglia4.
In Broca’s aphasia, a drastic loss of speech fluency occurs4.
The ability to name and repeat is disturbed but listening
comprehension is usually normal for colloquial language3.
One of the most substantial changes is a loss of the ability
to introduce some rules into the form of speech. The logic
of sequencing the constituent elements may be correct and
yet there are no linking particles or verb conjugations3.
These changes create a communication impairment and
impact the quality of life and well-being5. Broca’s aphasia is
a frustrating condition with extensive psychological, familial,
and social impact, where the person is often aware of their
communication difficulties2,5. Because of each person’s
individuality, context, and injury etiology, Broca’s aphasia is
a unique and idiosyncratic experience6.
Living with aphasia: a framework for Outcome Measurement (A‐
FROM) is a structure designed to understand, guide, and
organize thinking related to the impact of living with
aphasia7. It was adapted from the World Health
Organization International Classification of Functioning,
Disability, and Health (ICF) and incorporated concepts
from other models, such as the Canadian Disability Creation
Process model8. It is a broad, non-prescriptive approach to
outcome measurement that considers the impact of aphasia
in important areas of life for the people with aphasia and
their families. It is designed to help healthcare professionals
and researchers think about the aphasia results, addressing
several factors that affect the success of living with aphasia7.
The A‐FROM structure encompasses four key domains,
which are dynamic, overlap, and interact with each other:
Communication and language environment (any element outside
the person who facilitates or acts as a barrier to
communication, including individual/social attitudes,
partner attributes or physical factors); Language and related
impairments; Personal identity, attitudes and feelings, and
Participation in life situations (involvement in relationships,
functions, and daily activities)9.
Because of impaired communication, people with aphasia
often face barriers in accessing health information10. Their
capacity to transmit symptoms, question, request care, and
express feelings, needs, wills, and decisions concerning their
healthcare is compromised10. In nursing, understanding and
being understood while communicating is crucial to quality
of care and to meet the patient’s care needs11. Nursing
interventions are central to promoting effective and
therapeutic communication, optimizing recovery, and
positively influencing the experience of successfully living
with this clinical condition12.
People experiencing Broca’s aphasia cannot communicate
changes at that moment. Due to this, reports of people who
have recovered from aphasia or can express themselves are
vital to understanding Broca’s aphasia experience13.
Narrating the “internal world” is a vital source of
information for understanding the experience of living
without language13. Experience is what happens to us, what
touches us, and when it reaches us, it shapes and transforms
us14. In this context, knowledge of experience is about the
meaning of what happened14, how the person interprets,
understands and explains this experience, which
presupposes an individual reflection15. Illness experiences
are full of meanings16, which can only be understood
through the meaning attributed by those who experienced
them. Understanding the individual experience of the
person who went through a period of Broca’s aphasia from
a retrospective perspective and not from an immediate lived
experience, increases the comprehension of the
phenomenon and reveals subjective truths. The experience
is always subjective, individual and unique, including Broca's
aphasia experience.
In a preliminary search, it wasn’t found any literature review
about the experience of having lived through a period of
Broca's aphasia from the perspective of people who have
experienced this clinical condition. Thus, the high
prevalence of strokes, as the main cause of aphasia2 and the
impact of this language disorder on the person’s life justified
the need to develop this Scoping Review. Besides mapping
and reporting the existing evidence, this review will clarify
key concepts and identify gaps in the knowledge regarding
the experience of having lived with Broca's aphasia17. It’s
crucial to decrease the gap between the people’s perspective
who have experienced this phenomenon and the external
perspectives on aphasia18.
Aims
The main aim of this Scoping Review is to map the
available scientific evidence about the experience of adults
who lived a Broca’s aphasia period according to their
perspective, regardless of etiology. More specifically, the
purpose of this review is to identify what people report
about their Broca’s aphasia experience, the impact and
changes, the feelings and needs that emerged, factors that
influenced the experience, which supports and resources
they had and which they would have like to have had,
always from the individual’s perspective.
Exploring the experiences of people with aphasia can
improve the quality of care19. Thus, the understanding
gained in this review and the transferring this knowledge
into practice can improve the health care provided to
individuals with Broca's aphasia, including the quality of
nursing care, by implementing more efficient nursing
interventions addressing this population's needs. This
knowledge can also be important for people with other
language disorders and may contribute to improving health
outcomes.
Methods
A Scoping Review was developed following the Joanna
Briggs Institute methodology as a guide for transparent