HEALTH NEWS Treating aphasia Thursday, May 14, 2009 | 6:21 PM

By Dr. Jay Adlersberg

NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- A stroke or accident that injures the brain can leave people unable to speak, to understand and express language. This medical problem is called aphasia.

Some doctors think a person's ability to overcome this condition is limited, but at the Adler Aphasia Center in Maywood, New Jersey, patients perform activities that aim to help them to improve.

"Most improvement happens in the first six months, but that's not to say they won't improve for the rest of their lives, and that's very much what we're about," said Karen Tucker, the center's executive director.

Vahan Khoyan had a stroke a few years ago. Like most people with aphasia, his intellect is completely intact, but speaking is a problem. For him, the center is a place to socialize and make friends, to break ...NEXT........................