Fluent Aphasia (Wernicke's Aphasia)

Listen to Byron Peterson, a stroke survivor with fluent aphasia, speak with typically effortless speech with impaired meaning and poor comprehension in this interview with Megan Sutton, SLP from Tactus Therapy Solutions. Read more about Byron here: tactustherapy.com/wernickes-ap... And learn more about fluent aphasia: tactustherapy.com/what-is-flue...

[@gsahrens]

What is amazing to me about this video is that despite not making any sense he still comes off as a nice and kind person.

[@piepotatosandturtle2]

he does, so it makes it more tragic.

[@Dropthatboombox]

Facial expression and body language are very ingrained and instinctive. You see that in many mammals too. Language is developed much later during our evolution and remains very unique to us as a species.

[@Patrickisnt]

+Dropthatboombox That's right. Even blind people smile when theyre happy. it's a natural response, not a learned one

[@AutumnsFairy]

+gsahrens - He's at most unaware of the situation (Wernicke's aphasia) - which is probably a good thing because it would just cause him distress and upset if he knew. He's happy, he's on a cruise and the stroke didn't affect his ability to make facial expressions, motor movements (i.e., motor cortex, basal ganglia etc.) , unlike in Parkinson's where sometimes you can see patients with like a 'Parkinson' Mask', expression - where they show very little expression.

[@AutumnsFairy]

Oh, from tadpoles?

[@Audrey_650]

I have a dementia patient who speaks like this, one day I brought my daughter to the dementia unit and the woman said- as clear as day- “Look at the little girl! What is your name” we had never ever heard her speak a sentence that made sense, she was so happy to see a little kid. It was really a changing moment for me as a health care provider.

[@weewooweewoo906]

when my parents brought me to visit my great grandma with dementia the only coherent phrase she said that entire visit was ‘you’re as beautiful as ever’ to me :’) ill never forget

[@shadow_song]

when I visited my grandma at a dementia unit, she didn't say much and rarely anything comprehensive, never speaking to people as much as at them. after my whole visit full of trying to get her to talk to me, saying things like "It's (my name) here, I've come to visit, is that okay?" and simplifying it more and more as well, never got her to answer. Until I stood up from where I was sitting in front of her and she'd been holding my hands. When I stood up, she asked, "(my name)?" I know it might've been a meaningless word for her at that point, but to me it meant the world.

[@sanahassan4867]

wholesome comments 😭

[@aseragalaly2540]

That's so beautiful 😍

[@IDontReallyWantAYoutubeHandle]

Not a doctor, but it's pretty interesting when you consider some aspects of Dementia/Alzheimer's. To cut a long story short, for those not in the know, a lot of brain deterioration is caused by neural networks being unable to "talk" to eachother, which they do via electrical signals. HOWEVER, sometimes when a strong emotional response is elicited, sometimes the signals can get through! You can usually see this when dementia patients listen to music, they go from practically a vegetable to alive and are even able to recall details that they weren't able to before. Point is, that patient probably was so happy to see a young girl that her emotional response to it shot through her brain, and allowed her to actually make sense. Great stuff :')

[@queenofcrows]

"I appreciate it and I hope the world lasts for you." That's just pure poetry. His kindness comes across so clearly.

[@geobot9k]

It’s pretty intense, it seems like he’s trying to work around how difficult it is to put together a sentence and using different words he can find to convey a message similar to what he wants to express and other times can’t find the words and gives up trying to communicate the phrase. I am a few beers in and don’t know at Im talking about so I’m probably just seeing things but yeah it seems like he’s all, if not mostly, here and working around something that should be endlessly frustrating yet he’s come to peace with it. Again, I’m probably just drunk.

[@queenofcrows]

@@geobot9k That's exactly what having aphasia is like. I have it, though nowhere near as badly as he has it, so I can confirm that he is completely "all there" in his head. It's like your brain is completely sober and sharp and 'normal', but words are drunk and won't cooperate.

[@MonotoneCreeper]

@@queenofcrows So he can understand that what he’s saying doesn’t make sense and yet can’t do anything about it? That must be very distressing

[@OnlyBugmenWantedHandles]

The kindness itself is beautiful.

[@nocount1]

I'm going to steal that phrase from him.

[@marymcmahon659]

After my dad had a stroke all he could say was 'caboose'. He was a railroad engineer so it must have come naturally for him. He eventually was able to speak just fine.

[@Patchess]

"Dad i love you" "Caboose"

[@rubenpartono]

@@Patchess 😂😭 that is such a dad thing

[@MareShoop]

Aww, that’s rather sweet. Glad he recovered 💕Caboose!

[@thatjazzybee3211]

sorry about that but it is hilarious

[@Bjarku]

>Waiting in line behind a lady with a big ass >”CABOOSE” >She turns around “The fuck did you just say to me??”

[@junde410]

He sounds like a politician avoiding questions he doesn't want to answer.

[@yournamehere6760]

+James Underwood hello leddit

[@andrewburnette9019]

+James Underwood That's funny.

[@majkutisusernameom]

+James Underwood Most accurate comment

[@study4846]

+James Underwood Or a celebrity avoiding relationship questions

[@davidnika446]

+James Underwood Believe it or not, I was just watching a video of Sarah Palin stumping for Donald Trump. Somebody made a comment that it seems like she has Wernicke's aphasia. I did remember learning a bit about this in college, but didn't remember the details. After doing a search, I arrived at this video. Indeed, her speech patterns really do seem to resemble that of someone with this disorder. (Although she was not evading a question...she was winging it, as she often does).

[@TheUnchainedMind]

"...and I hope the world lasts for you" Damn.

[@Davidrcobb]

now I'm scared he maybe the new Nostrodomus

[@BlakeLeitch]

+

[@california236]

It's a beautiful thought though.

[@MsHojat]

That's deep.

[@TheRosemontag]

Mind of a poet.

[@StuartRoland]

"I hope the world lasts for you" Sometimes people with these sorts of conditions can suddenly cut through with something that deeply resonates in an uncanny way. When my grandmother was in the hospital with a head injury which sharply progressed her dementia, for the most part I couldn't really make sense of what she was saying, but then one moment she got quiet and looked right at me with the purest and sweetest look of true interest and mild concern and asked me "What is your truth?" She left me with a question that I can still ponder over all these years later.

[@chrunchii2568]

Because when you find the truth, it will set you free

[@inkedmomblu1510]

I hope you find your truth and can bravely stand in it. Whatever it is. I’m sure your grandmother loved you dearly 💜💙

[@nathanmingle7]

The common theme seems to be being genuine / loss of ego

[@CasualClassical]

That line really gave me chills I had to replay it a couple times to make sure I heard him right. Losing agency is one of my greatest fears. It was as though he was articulating his awareness of the fact that the world as he had known it for most of his life is gone, it did not last until he died. I don’t know the specifics of aphasia but perhaps it’s possible that he was able to eek out some clarity in that moment

[@amberharmsen2497]

Dude that’s shit gave me the shivers and now I’m teering up

[@876r876rf]

I loved hearing this guy talk. You stop focusing on the language and you hear the heart

[@governmentchihuahua4132]

This is one of the most beautiful comments I've ever seen.

[@cyruspowers7355]

Hearing him be happy about god only knows what just makes me happy. He radiates joy and kindness, the kind of man that lights up a room.

[@kevinbishop6582]

Still, this is really messed up stuff. I hope he can handle other things in his life better than he can speech.

[@julz9378]

ah, yes, so good f you to notice and make us aware❤️

[@borderlineiq]

That seems a little simplistic. It's all well and good to tell another to "not focus on the langugage," but the reality is, those caring for stroke survivors have to work through a myriad of uncommunicated details, interpret incomplete or nonsense requests or instructions. Should we be thankful the person is joyful? Sure. But the funciton of language is far more complex that simply conveying emotions. Knowing this man is happy or kind is well and good, but understanding he is asking you to unclog the commode or help an animal injured in the back yard is another thing.

[@STDrepository]

He can use fixed usage phrases like "have a good day" with no problem at all. Its when he needs to create his own sentence that everything falls apart. Very interesting.

[@XellosTheDragon]

This is basically me in my target language 😂

[@MsHojat]

That's because some short phrases always go together. Just like how the word "always" originates from "all ways", or how some words (especially in other languages) can mean multiple words. Like QR129 0 said, because it takes no thought to express this idea, it can come out as whole. That's the way I see it at least.

[@jasonlyons1089]

That is very true i find that to be very interesting i really wonder if that means something or if that is something his brain has more association with saying, so could that be a phrase that he was custom to saying everyday?

[@AlexDiamantopulo]

+Zanzibar Kofax, Thank you for most interesting comment here!

[@mattball7074]

Perhaps 'Bye Bye' formed a strong neural circuit or a unique neural node that responded as almost an automatic reply with 'have a good day'-- its curious if she may have concluded by saying ' ok thats everything and i'll chat to you when I get to see you next!' ... i suspect he would still not reply "have a good day"

[@Nightspyz1]

i'm adopting this sweet man's words "thank you very much i appreciate it and i hope the world lasts for you"

[@33hegemon]

+Nightspyz1 It's poetic, in a way.

[@memberHD]

Is it "lasts" or "laughs"?

[@cloudmage4463]

People with problems tend to have the biggest hearts. Children are born with compassion in them and taught hate. I think when you struggle with language and communication and the thoughts get tangled up we default to a state of compassion a lot of the time.

[@HavelTheCock]

Except you have to teach kids to share toys and not to clock the little girl playing in the sandbox.

[@Nightspyz1]

could be laughs that would be even better :)

[@tonypradioshow2569]

My ex had a stroke affecting his speech like this. He was aware that the words out of his mouth weren’t as planned, got frustrated but also had a giggle at the absurdity of it sometimes. Helping him with some shopping he asked me to put some things in the ‘safety sausage farm’, looking at the fridge.

[@bernhardt1557]

Lmao

[@maruscaman]

Hahaha I love that!

[@ummagummaman]

I will forever call my fridge the safety sausage farm from now on. Absurd, yet appropriate. Genius. Love it!

[@thetawaves12]

Is he going to recover ?

[@rsqddogmom]

I was working as an OTA student with an individual who had suffered a TBI decades ago and I allowed him to use the voice to text on my tablet. We were both roaring with laughter at what Google made of his affected speech pattern!! (We had made brownies and Google heard something about motorcycles) I now work in a healthcare and nursing facility and laughter really is the best medicine!

[@serenasaystoday]

I showed this video to my husband a while ago because I thought it was so interesting. A few days later I was upset about something and crying, and my husband just hugged me and said "I'm happy, are you pretty?" And it just made me laugh and I felt so much better. Now we say it to each other all the time. I wish I could tell Byron that his unique expressions made other people smile!

[@Organic_ape]

Cute story, thanks for sharing. 🙋🏼‍♂️

[@thatoneesra]

yes, thank you for sharing!

[@MyFavouriteStation]

My father has global aphasia. His language is limited, and typically has about 20 words on rotation, some are english some are gibberish. But they all mean something we understand. Much like this man Byron, one of my Dad's favourite words is also, "happy" :) I'm constantly reminded to be happy when I'm with him. So much to be grateful for.

[@SatumainenOlento]

Wow! So lovely to hear about happy!

[@AbsFabbs]

What a lovely comment. Your father is proud of you!!!

[@nikkenakke3079]

True

[@je9833]

❤️ 🫂

[@gromponsu8913]

Your dad sounds really wonderful and you can tell he has a very kind soul. I wish you and him limitless happiness and wellbeing :)

[@naota3k]

"I'm happy, are you pretty?" *heart breaks*

[@Rhovanion85]

In the next sentence he says she's looking good, so I guess he wants to say "I'm happy, are you? You look pretty" but instead he says "Are you pretty?"

[@carlahager]

My mother had this after her stroke in 2008.She called the nurses little pickles.We actually had to laugh 😆. She was a former RN herself and she laughed also.She just couldn't find words

[@billie6814]

Oh wow, could you please explain that a little more for me? Is it really just like understanding what people are saying and what you want to say, but not being able to think of the words?

[@Ari-zo7ve]

@@billie6814 yes. Sometimes they’re aware that the words they’re speaking don’t make sense, sometimes not. It just depends on the area of the brain damaged.

[@billie6814]

@@Ari-zo7ve oh thank you

[@floodlime8620]

Little pickles! That is so charming :)

[@lolashyalol]

Did she recover?

[@RiversInTheSky.]

"I hope the world lasts for you" is so beautiful. Wisdom I shall take from Byron; thank you!

[@skidibidibibidiboo2487]

Bless him. There was a chap I used to look after who had rather advanced dementia, and conversations with him were like freeform scat jazz poetry. We didn't solve any of the world's problems, but we had enjoyable nonsensical conversations.

[@metrognome2225]

Do you think a part of that could be the conceptual mental filter breaking down? As if becoming a child or baby again? I would imagine in some cases (of course not all) that could lead to some great raw interactions without any meaning of words, just two entities really being with each other without all the memory stored up in the form of concepts or “how the world is”

[@michaelcorrigan6577]

Free form scat poetry in motion! I like it

[@Heterandria4mosa]

Wait, I love that "we didn't solve any of the worlds problems". Not all interactions have to be deep to be meaningful.

[@gregoryborton6598]

Fortunately iirc this man was on track to a full recovery and made one, if I'm remember correctly from a reddit thread this was in a couple years back. I recall someone digging out an interview with the family who said it took a long time to get to this point, lots of speech therapy and re-learning. You can get the gist of what he's saying, even if it's incredibly scattered and sometimes non-sensical. The beautiful part about any language is that you can get from context cues what you can't get from the speech itself. You can tell he's happy, talking about playing golf, I think the stuff about the water was about them being near a pool/lake or something? The point being you can tell the point, just that it's not getting 'translated' from though to speech coherently.

[@crystalbelle2349]

@@metrognome2225 perhaps this individual did make a full recovery, yet I understand your concept and fully agree. I know someone personally who was a gifted child prodigy but had a stroke later in life. The stroke removed not only the ident memory but created several other issues creating difficult survival for one who unfortunately remembered being so intelligent but now falls short with simple finances. His life became a shambles as he became a withered reclusive humble man. Those who did benefit from his gifts no longer came around and in his new state of mind it took years for him to figure out why his “friends” quit coming around him. His new humility left him to wonder how he offended people, when in reality they weren’t quality friends. As a volunteer helping after work, my heart went out to him, the joy in his eyes as a child bc I wasn’t being paid, just there bc I cared. Of course I couldn’t stay long after work, still had my own home work to do before my shower, sleep, wake, start over LoL leaving out much now that I’m old. You are very correct in many cases, I am sure. GBU for the deeper understanding. Thank you. :)

[@Rhovanion85]

"I'm happy, are you pretty?" I need this man's pickup lines.

[@control2XS]

"Thank you very much, I appreciate it, and I hope the world lasts for you" gave me chills Lovely bloke, hope he doesn't get frustrated when he isn't understood.

[@coammaoc]

After his stroke, my grandfather could only say “Same place” and “take you to that same place.” He could also express “yes” and “no” but not very eloquently (kinda like “yah” and “nah” but he’d mostly just nod or shake his head.) Interestingly enough, he could also say certain cuss words… I’m not sure how many he could say, but I’ll never forget when he loudly said “Gaaawd Damn” in church one time. It’s always made me wonder if cuss words live in a different part of the mind. For anyone interested, an example of a conversation with him would be like: -Me: “Hey Granddad” -Him: “Same place!” -Me: “How was Easter?” -Him: “Same place! Take you to that saaaame place.” -Me: “Did you eat any deviled eggs?” -Him: “Saaaame place same place. Take youuu to that saaaame place.”

[@1111atreides]

I'm sure cuss words reside "someplace else." It's so silly. I can't abide seeing words like "fucking" spelled e-f-f-i-n-g.

[@emmathefabulous]

Swearing is usually related to a strong emotional response as well which is dealt with in a different part of the brain, but obviously our emotions and our ability to communicate are very linked. Maybe he was bored as hell 😂There are studies that say we actually feel less pain when we're swearing lol

[@Mutantcy1992]

Same fuckin place

[@borderlineiq]

If you think about how we store language, we categorize words by function, and when we go looking for a word we can't remember, we KNOW it's a verb or a noun or an adjective. But, almost all languages have taboos as well, and we apparently are able to paint those words red, so to speak, as we store them. That process must involve something unique, as it has long been known that dementia and other patients will utter profanities whereas the unimpaired person literally never used them. They learned them, but locked them away. That lock gets broken somehow in the illness and out they come. It's a shame, even though it has humor, as it robs some dignity from folks who have lived with care and reverence in their lives. But, we realize it is not their intent, so there is no shame in it. I doubt anyone in church took offense either, right?

[@pozloadescobar]

The gist of the world was not lost on him. In the end, all of us are taken to the same place

[@rebeccamd7903]

I had a TIA (temporary stroke) that caused this. Thankfully it resolved and I am back to normal. So the odd thing is when you’re saying things, your brain hears what you think you’re saying, not what you’re actually saying.

[@ineffablemars]

what if you recorded yourself and played it back?

[@Isalys555]

When you wrote something on a piece of paper on keyboard does it was aphasic as well?

@@Isalys555 I think it works the same with written words. You can read them physically, but brain recognizes them together as something else as long as you have the whole context in your mind. Maybe I’m wrong. Idk The whole topic of perception of people with neurological conditions is really interesting but due to specifics of these disorders it is understandable why we have this lack of information about it. Poor guy

[@recoveringsoul755]

I was wondering if he knew perfectly well what he was saying and thought he made sense. I watched several times and I think he's making more sense than one might think. He's not in a doctor's office, for example, if you listen, turn on captions, you'll hear the interviewer say that they are on a Cruise Ship and about to arrive in Juneau. Those ships have many activities available, like golf and swimming, floating hotels. He says "We stayed with the water", mentions diving and a damn, water related words. He says the name Donna, could that be his wife? If he is a golfer, and played golf on the cruise, that makes sense too , and he does seem happy but he's on vacation. When he greets her and asks "are you pretty?" It's possible she is pretty, and he thinks so, but perhaps he meant to say "you look nice" and asking are you pretty came out instead. He keeps looking and gesturing to the side, must be a window there probably a view of the water or other people. Seems happy but people on vacation usually are happy.

[@smsmsmsmsmsm]

I was just wondering that, it so interesting but also sounds frustrating and scary as fuck ngl

[@Skybert88]

I like the term "I hope the world lasts for you"

[@OmnominWierdo]

+Skybert88 I thought it was pretty sweet. kinda like "aww"

[@gordoning76]

+Skybert88 Yes, that actually makes a lot of sense, and is quite poetic too. Also notice that he finishes very appropriately with "Have a good day". Pragmatics is clearly not such a problem for him as semantics.

[@kylephilipe8347]

He said that because the world stopped lasting for him, poor guy.

[@megabigblur]

Maybe it's because "have a good day" is a stereotyped phrase that people just say all the time without having to think about it.

[@crepeinaround]

My sister is deaf, which taught me to see intent. This man is so pure and wholesome.

[@borderlineiq]

He seems very like a former pastor, perhaps, as his exaggerated kindness appears more than simply a personality trait. Just a guess.

[@cryptid_esskay]

I come back to this video when I’m having a rough time and the way he says “I hope the world lasts for you” always makes my day better. I do not know this man, and I doubt I ever will. But that is a phrase I carry with me in my heart.

[@osmmanipadmehum]

autocorrect on full auto *I think, neurologically speaking. I apologize for the insensitivity.

[@Smiddigger]

Dude...

[@razzed1310]

amazing

[@Anhjje]

hahahaha

[@juandrod64]

this is 9gag level

[@musicgana]

this is so terrible but funny

[@jollino]

"I hope the world lasts for you" is such a beautiful phrase, especially in these troubled times.

[@meowal1192]

(hi from 2022)... now even that is not guaranteed. Hope the world lasts for you and all of us here.

[@riseandshinemrfriman5925]

Yeah. It's actually very scary how meaningful and well-intended that statement is. It's the purest form of good-will that I have observed in my entire life. For a moment it felt like hearing an alien talk with a wisdom far beyond human comprehention. I'll be thinking about this for a long time.

[@violincatch]

😭❣️

[@fullriver1234]

@@meowal1192 i think that comment is also from 2022

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

@@fullriver1234 Yeah lol. The OP and the first replier both wrote 3 weeks ago haha (well, it was 2 weeks prior to you when you wrote).

[@amosuzumaki5757]

"I appreciate it and I hope the world lasts for you" Lemme tell you real quick; these are the words of a true prophecy. Also this man is so sweet despite his disorder.😭

[@cannedstarfish6194]

He's...... in surprisingly good condition, much better than I initially expected. Some patients answer interviews with complete word salads that's nigh impossible to track. Despite still being somewhat incoherent and having trouble understanding complex sentences, he was still able to answer simple questions (how are you?), describe location (near water, on a boat) and recall events (talking with other passengers?). And most importantly, he's still able to enjoy life as what it is. My favorite part is the "hands" in the conversation, and there's certainly a lot of hands. If you read his linked story you'd know it's actually an euphemism for words he does not know - he has three numb fingers on his hand.

[@Youngsoldier93]

"I hope the world lasts for you." That is one of the most deepest things I've ever heard!

[@yojishinkawa378]

Kinda scary. Does it not last for some people? If you do not die, does the world eventually die around you? Almost Lovecraftian.

[@Neferati1]

@@yojishinkawa378 Because the fucking boomers ruined the world for majority of people on this planet.

[@scorpiomelancholia1559]

@@yojishinkawa378 the world lasts as long as your own lifespan Then when you go The universe ends for you

[@kaylaisnothere4397]

When you realize the way he speaks is retained through muscle memory, you can tell he was (and still is) a sweet man before this condition surfaced ❤.

[@petemavus2948]

Accepting as well

[@stopbunsen]

It shows how much we interpret non-verbal cues when we can gather all sorts of things from this conversation. He was definitely having a good time on the cruise, and met some great people, and seems like a genuinely nice guy

[@itsjustkevin6652]

Never heard my dad cuss until he had a stroke. His nurse had some very bad days but she was kind and understanding. It was hard seeing him behave like that

[@ODjangoo]

i like how the "thank you" "i appreciate it" and "have a good day" are so hard-wired. wholesome

[@habitual_medicine5838]

It's interesting to see that he said "Have a good day", as if that sentence has been spoken so much that it's now part of muscle memory instead of being controlled in his speech centers. It also means that this man has been nice and polite throughout his whole life :)

[@inbarmore3159]

Wowww I love that comment, it kinda blew my mind lol😂

[@manuelmanolo7099]

In laymans terms that exactly what happens! :) More frequent use in multiple situations leads to automatisation by several neurons in different areas not associated with the wernicke area (which is predominantly responsible for grammatics, semantics, etc.)

[@Rietu]

@@manuelmanolo7099 So, the more the person has to think about what they're saying, the more difficult it is for the brain to form the sentence? Whereas, if they say something regularly, that phrase becomes its own singular unit that can be placed into speech as "one unit"?

[@manuelmanolo7099]

@@Rietu Yes and no. There is never a singular unit for complex actions like speech or visual interpretation. They are always dependent on complex interconnectivity but to a degree complex actions can be automatised in the way you described. So it's never a single unit but definitely less complex compared to novel speech. Which makes sense for everyone I think: If you talk about philosophical questions you will use a vast array of different regions in the brain: neocortex for integrating memories and knowledge, motor cortex for muscle control in tongue and mouth, frontal cortex for planning and inhibiting thoughts and behavior, etc. The example in the video suggests that common phrases are not dependent on the wernicke area, which means there is probably very little processing in terms of semantics and grammatics. If you'd like to read up more on the topic of neuronal specificity google "grandmother neuron" or "jennifer aniston neuron". The research is about visual information and because of the results people thought it was possible to find a single unit that was responsible for identifiying jennifer aniston or your grandmother. People abandoned that way of thinking about the brain quickly though because they realised that you'd still be able to recognice jennifer aniston even if that single neuron is not activated. Which makes sense, because again, there is never a single unit responsible for processing. E.g. recognising your grandmother from different angles, from just her eyes and not her entire face, the emotional components that are elicited if you think about your grandmother, etc. It's a highly complex topic with a lot of debate amongst scientists!

[@neoqwerty]

@@manuelmanolo7099 Is there a different response for polyglots? Or for people who have focus issues, or get used to just infer a LOT from keywords and tone and context? Asking because I've noticed weird "parsing" I can do that my single-language English-speaking friends trip up on, when I encounter people with shaky grasp on English rules; I read the bad grammar and strange tenses/conjugations and it makes sense in my head without having to puzzle over it for a few seconds. (And it's not even French grammar or verb quirks, I'm talking completely unrelated sentence structures like Japanese or Chinese languages would use.) Sometimes it feels like I'm freestyling and intuiting language instead of building with the rules in mind.

[@petercaulfield5065]

WHY CAN'T I STOP WATCHING THIS? I love this guy. His happy, loving nature shines through like a flood light.

[@shannonolivas9524]

I understand it may lead to some frustration, being unable to be understood despite knowing full well what he intends to say, when my father had a stroke and was unable to speak for a time he remembered full well the abuse he took from the nurses at the rehabilitation center he was at yelling at him "I don't speak Mexican" and the like. He was perfectly able to understand them but his words were coming out as gibberish. Having said that, Mr. Peterson here certainly does generate some rather lyrical, interesting and beautiful turns of phrase doesn't he?

[@bombofbombe]

It's interesting how you can hear him try and basically say "I don't know what you can understand, but I talk with a lot of hands to help"

[@meanya4687]

Hey, you're right... that's kind of wild, I wonder how much of what he's talking about could be kind of translated and made out...

[@wohdinhel]

Syntactically perfectly sound, but semantically shattered. This is so interesting from a linguistic perspective. It almost reminds me of how some neural network learning algorithms generate sentences. The structure works, but its practical function doesn’t because it’s referentially disconnected from whatever the speaker is trying to actually talk about. I’m far from a neurologist, but I can’t help but wonder what the implications of this are for how our brains compartmentalize language.

[@vallewasgeddney5996]

Dude, I like how YOUR brain works.

[@angelicreinforcement3373]

To me, it kind of sounds like there's no filter between his associations and what he says. Your thoughts tend to go into random directions all the time, trying to connect what is happening to something you're familiar with. It seems to me he simply lacks the ability to select which thoughts are relevant to express, since (though I'm no neurologist myself). He starts off talking about the water, then moves to diving, which is a sport, and golf is also a sport.

[@thegeorgiemoore]

@@angelicreinforcement3373 this is an interesting thought, particularly considering that people with wernickes aphasia don’t realise their speech makes no semantic sense. our brains have networks of associations (schemas) as part of memory and thought (ie ‘fluffy > cat > animal > zoo > lion’ (think of one word and see what word you automatically think of next kind of thing)) so i wonder if his brain is essentially just word dumping related concepts/associations, despite none of it having any meaning.

[@thegeorgiemoore]

@@angelicreinforcement3373 but with that being said, while I agree in a sense that it appears there’s no filter between associations and speech, it’s not that he can’t pick what words are relevant; he doesn’t know what he is saying is nonsense, to him it makes sense.

[@wallacetosh2839]

Byron made more sense than you numpty.

[@TorqueBow]

“…and I hope the world lasts for you.” I was already emotional part way through the video, but at that sentence, I’m bawling. This meant something. He knew it, the lovely woman behind the camera knew it, too. He meant so well. It is amazing that stuff like that cuts through, and you know exactly what he is trying to say in that moment. I wish this man nothing but my best prayers and wishes.

[@Connection-Lost]

He had no idea what he was saying. You're way over-sensitive and over-imaginative.

[@roryoc18]

@@Connection-Lost I hope you get some help some day

[@Connection-Lost]

@@JediNiyte So I'm a bad person because you're delusional? And what if I have a disability too? You get to talk shit because my disability isn't apparent and being used to elicit an emotional reaction from you? How insensitive. I went to special education for 5 years, no joke. But you'll call me names for being impulsive and lacking social awareness, making you the worse human being.

[@Connection-Lost]

@@roryoc18 I won't, just like this old man. He's literally helpless. But not you people- you are overly emotional and lash out in the nastiest way at anything that you don't like. On the other hand you cry and cry over strangers that just happen to trigger a certain chemical reaction in you. Those strangers could be monsters in their private life but all that matters to you is FEELINGS. What a disgusting existence, only reacting emotionally to each encounter, without a shred of self-awareness or deep thought. All you can do is call names and sling accusations when called out.

[@Mr.Mister001]

The brain is an amazing thing. It's capable of so much but one little 'error' can do enormous damage... I'm physically disabled but I still have most of my intelligence. I'm so very thankful for that. My world would be so horrible without it. You all have my prayers if that means anything to you. Please remember, we are all people no matter how broken we are inside. Kindness is one of the best gifts you can give and it costs you nothing.

[@MrAntello]

My grandpa recently had a stroke and he sometimes mixed a few words with others. One day he was complaining about the "shape of his tank" and kept pointing towards his head so I assumed he didn't like how his hair had grown out during recovery. Well, I gave him a haircut and shaved his face and he was happy about it. A month later he recovers and remembers bits and pieces after I showed him some photos of our barber relationship and he tells me he just didn't like how his hair had turned more white than grey.

[@pyrosiumofficial]

Not sure if you'll respond but, you're saying he recovered and didn't realize he said what he said? I dont fully understand this aphasia thing. They think they're talking normally? Or do they know they are talking weird but try to talk normally? its very very interesting.

[@Flammable]

@@pyrosiumofficial I don't know about the original comment's story but Wernicke's aphasia happens when someone has a stroke and the part of the brain that is makes sentences and is responsible for speech is fine but the part that processes and understands it is damaged. They can speak normally and fluently but can't understand other people and can't even understand their own sentences.

[@XxDeadpool99xX]

@@Flammable to add to this, it’s not just vocal speech but all language. So you can’t get around it by writing, for example

[@AmyInArizona]

@@XxDeadpool99xX such a shame 🙁

[@BebeesHuman]

@@XxDeadpool99xX I suspected as much. Golly!

[@heartbreaktimemachine]

"... and I hope the world lasts for you." Fuckin' a brother.

[@alyssafernandez1944]

I think he said "laughs", but maybe I heard wrong and just hope he said that.

[@asad2918]

Ima tear up

[@ashryan6129]

This man seems sweet, I hope he’s well. This speech reminds me of making sentences out of your keyboard’s predictive text

[@beenaplumber8379]

OMG This is exactly what it's like to have a conversation with someone who is talking in their sleep! My brother was like this as a teen when he was asleep. It was difficult to know that he was actually asleep, but his words made no sense, though he spoke with conviction. What's really weird is that he had a friend who also talked in his sleep, and he spent the night once when we were all in high school. The only phrase I remember (this was 1983) was "Piss 'em up the middle." No possible meaning. Fascinating, bizarre, and very real-world. I wonder if my brother's Wernicke's region was asleep at the time. I should ask him. He's a professor of neuropsychology now.

[@catbatrat1760]

I didn't know you could have conversations with people while they're sleep-talking (are you sure they can hear you?), but it does make sense that what they're saying wouldn't make sense. After all, dreams certainly don't.

[@beenaplumber8379]

@@catbatrat1760 I was using the word "conversation" very loosely. I think he did hear me, but I'm almost positive he didn't understand me. He paused while I spoke and reacted by changing his tone of voice, and that's it. He didn't look at me or toward me. Our mom said she had conversations with him in his sleep when he was little, but I'm not sure what she meant by that. Probably the same as my experience. His friend was just out of it, lying in bed, talking out loud to himself, not responding to us.

[@souravzzz]

they don't think it be like it is but it do

[@seanc7681]

he has the best words

[@Logtarthemighty]

occasionally I don't regret reading the comments.

[@Zephy-kun]

-Oscar Gamble

[@SF-zm2py]

Best misuse of language I've seen so far!

[@julianaorrico8643]

do you have receptive aphasia, sir?

[@TopFloorEricc]

Strokes can do weird things to the brain. I used to work at a bank. One customer who would come to me had staggered, sometimes broken speech but he made sense with what he was saying and just seemed a bit uncomfortable so I just thought he was a little awkward or intellectually disabled. One day he was trying to tell me something but couldn’t get it out. He then explained he had a stroke several years ago and had speech troubles. He asked for a piece of paper and a pen so he could write down what he was trying to say. It was only one word. He knew the meaning of it. It made sense in context and everything he was saying up to this point made sense. But he told me for some reason he is unable to say this one word. I can’t remember what the word was but it was something very simple but his brain would not allow him to formulate the word with his mouth. Very interesting. Super nice guy too.

[@sensifacient]

A customer once gave me enough dollars and a handful of random change. Clearly too much change. She then explained that she had a stroke and could not differentiate coins, so she had to give cashiers a handful of coins and rely on them to count what was needed. You'd otherwise have no indication it had happened! Her motor skills seemed ordinary and her speech was fluent. I was surprised.

[@blob5907]

no he was just faking it

[@simanolastname2399]

@@blob5907 bait

[@Mutantcy1992]

If I had just one word I couldn't say and it was a common enough word, I'd get a nice little laminated card that said it so I could just wave it into my sentences.

[@rhythmandblues_alibi]

What an incredibly sweet man. I hope the world lasts for him, too.

[@violincatch]

That broke my heart 💔

[@blastingoff]

I'm glad you're happy Byron! Wonderful to see you so happy and supported!

[@LostJedi26]

"I hope the world lasts for you." Such a beautiful sentiment. He sounds like such a nice and kind guy. Wow.

[@italianredneckgirl]

Incredibly sad…but delivered with a smile and friendly tone. God bless this man and those suffering with the same affliction.

[@recoveringsoul755]

Would be nice to have more context, is Donna his wife? The interviewer does say they are on a cruise and about to arrive in Juneau, so all the talk about water, diving, a damn makes sense. So does playing golf, doesn't that happen on cruise ships? Is he a golfer? He might be making more sense if we had more context of what is going on in his world at the time

[@pozloadescobar]

How poignant that a man who has lost his faculties still wants to politely engage with other people. Maybe that's human nature, or maybe he was born into a better generation

[@YourActualMother]

What he said at the end brought me to tears 😢 beautiful soul

[@cuckmasterkat7067]

What a radiantly happy man! Listening to him enthusing about everything made me smile.

[@mrsandman939]

I love how he made the joke that only he could understand. And that laugh :D He's so sweet

[@benparsons4979]

"right now I don't see a darn thing"

[@xTayy1]

"I hope the world lasts for you" is such a sweet thing to say. My heart feels so warm 🥺

[@tabby73]

He looks like a warm hearted person 🙏

[@aluisiomirandareis2137]

Bittersweet

[@dr.derekrobinson1920]

It's just gibberish.

[@zRhid]

Ngl it kinda sounds like a threat haha

[@dreamweaver444]

very sweet how all the pleasant phases came back so naturally to him 🥰 bless this man

[@lynetteruru360]

Thanks for your convo and smile Bryon all the best!

[@pliskinn0089]

Give him a pen, hes the next James Joyce.

[@idislikegoogleplus9452]

ayyy lmao

[@Th3BlackLotus]

A commenter above said that for him to write anything down is nearly impossible. While anyone literate would understand the joke you made, it'd never happen

[@Croix1]

ehm. dude. key word: joke

[@sstrong42]

You win one internet!

[@IoOLOoOfficial]

God Damn!

[@Jombozeus]

Just read about him in the link. Before the stroke he was a MIT/Northwestern educated Metallurgist and an avid reader. As of 2015 when this video was uploaded, he can read books very slowly, has a license and can drive, and comprehends about 50% of what is said to him. He can still read numbers, do math equations, and analyze financial statements just fine. Very, very interesting! Hope he's even better now 7 years later.

[@Paisles]

This came up randomly in my suggested. Keep up the positivity and good work yall

[@robertbright2057]

May God continue to bless this Man and those who work with him, this is a beautiful thing to see.

[@CursedEarthPizza]

you're an angel for having the patience and ability to work with people suffering from this.

[@Tactustherapy]

+Christopher Digital Helping people with aphasia is my passion, and I feel very fortunate to be able to do it, both in person and through technology. Thank you.

[@lulurowan303]

+tactustherapy My uncle stroked out and ended up with this aphasia business and its very rough on the family as it is new to us.Do people ever improve with this condition?.

[@megansutton1608]

+Lulu Rowan Yes, they often improve! Speech therapy can help, as can time and exercises. Tactus Therapy creates apps for aphasia therapy for those whose need more practice. The closest family members should attend as much therapy as they can with him to learn what to do at home. Good luck to your uncle in his recovery!

[@bebopanda4622]

+tactustherapy I have an option of studying aphasia as a minor in university, do you recommend it? I feel I wont handle communicating with the patients like I would cry lol

[@megansutton1608]

+Meow Moosawi If you're interested in helping people with aphasia, then by all means - study it. Crying is okay - it means you're understanding the struggle. We need all members of society to understand aphasia better and act appropriately so the people living with aphasia don't feel so alienated, even if you don't go on to be a researcher or therapist. Aphasia needs advocates!

[@jimmystrudel687]

this is how i speak when i'm dreaming.

[@EzReveng3]

+Jimmy Strudel I was just thinking the same thing, like when i'm waking up and trying to keep the dream going... Weird to explain but thats how it goes for me.

[@felixhultman8410]

This is how I speak during presentations or any public speaking.

[@Axacqk]

It's like in a dream somebody says to you, "It's not X, it's X", where X and X are totally the same word, except you totally understand it to mean two entirely different things. Because it's not X, it's X, dammit!

[@ehlehlohtz1791]

Reading in dreams, also.

[@nilsber.]

@@Axacqk its x, he was acting kinda sus

[@maryannmay7105]

I have seen 2 people so far on KZbin with this condition & what struck me the most was that they seem very happy,let’s hope that in their mind they are.

[@ElSWVisitor]

Largely compensated for by the fact Byron is such an obviously warm and charming person 👍

[@Smorans]

Even though he has this difficult communication issue he seems so positive and happy 😊 it’s great to see someone still having a good time even after something as terrible as a stroke

[@riseandshinemrfriman5925]

You might find Jill Bolte Taylor's story interesting. She actually described a sensation of being at complete peace with herself and the entire world, as her brain kinda disconnected her whole being; her soul, from all memory and stress regions, so she became sort of totally pure and innocent for a little while. Like being totally oblivious to all the negative stigma that had accumulated over time.

[@petemavus2948]

There's a book " A Stroke Of Genius " about how being compromised is not necessarily being totally out of it.

[@petemavus2948]

@@riseandshinemrfriman5925 Overwhelmed, people can escape all different ways, shedding parts of themselves, protecting the most basic of functions.

[@recoveringsoul755]

@@petemavus2948 My Stroke Of Genius is by Jill Bolte Taylor,, a brain doctor. Lost the language parts of her brain, but could pick up on the energy that people brought into the room with them. Her mother visited in the hospital and I don't think she knew who it was or what the name meant, but her mother climbed into the bed with her, and she knew that felt nice. This man is on a cruise ship, the interviewer says they are on a cruise about to arrive in Juneau, so when the man says "We stayed with the water", it makes sense. Playing golf makes sense since it's an activity available on cruise ships especially if he's played golf before and had been playing golf. Is Donna his wife? I'm thinking if we had more context that we might understand more. When the interview starts he asks her "Are you pretty" maybe he thinks she is pretty, but meant to say You look nice and the question came out instead

[@petemavus2948]

@@recoveringsoul755 Amazing right? Energy and Essence 🕊️Thank You ❤️

[@Magnate1992]

What a lovely man. God bless him ''I hope the world lasts for him''

[@NinaMelpomeneLynch]

Amen.

[@petemavus2948]

' From your lips to God's ears ' Amen

[@Spencerlayne]

A massive eye opener man. You can tell he Is such a sweet man bless him.

[@robertfindley921]

This man seems so happy and content. I love watching this video for that reason. But I wish him well.

[@dejureclaims8214]

I respect that this condition must cause a lot of problems, but for the moment I find just listening to him invigorating and beautiful.

[@KodyOldAccount]

+Alex Stein Exactly.

[@BlackNightJack]

Affirmative.

[@riseandshinemrfriman5925]

That's rather normal. If a monkey suddenly developed speech (Please forgive the crude comparison), our brain would immediately adore that fact and we would sit there like glued, listening to it utter its first words,in a language that we utilize so effortlessly. I guess the same thing applies to this case. Seeing another human being speak in a way that is completely alien to us, is incredibly interesting.

[@SatumainenOlento]

@@riseandshinemrfriman5925 👎👎👎

[@petemavus2948]

@@SatumainenOlento I too found RiseAndShine's comment 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎 to be more "alien".

[@foadrightnow5725]

Seems like a sweet and kind man. I hope his condition has improved since then.

[@DementiaCaregiversCorner]

He exudes so much confidence. I just love him.

[@schleepy6362]

This is so pure omg. I know it must be a difficult condition to have, but this man is so charismatic and friendly despite it. I could listen to him all day☺

[@jojojorisjhjosef]

Imagine looking at this without knowing English

[@SuperLamarrio64DS]

I came here to watch this after reading about the Bruce Willis diagnosis. I don't know if he has fluent or non fluent aphasia, but either way, I hope both he and this man are okay. I know they aren't as well as we wish they could be, but the world supports them.

[@InChristIDelight]

same dude

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

exactly why i watched this also; this is way worse than what i thought it was.

[@lansesteiner3563]

Me too

[@wendus93]

@ghost mall Nope, nobody has mentioned what type of aphasia he has. He's apparently been struggling since maybe 2018-2019. If he is now at the point where he can no longer efficiently communicate, then it could mean that he has primary progressive aphasia, which unfortunately doesn't get better (unlike stroke induced aphasia). Primary progressive aphasia is unfortunately a type of dementia, which eventually progresses into symptoms such as personality changes, not being able to recognize people's faces, familiar objects, etc. Some people even become mute. It's tragic.

[@Julia-uh4li]

@@wendus93The Primary one is truely tragic. Hollywood PR teams usually put a spin things instead of sharing facts that are personal. If Bruce really has this, I am very sorry for him. I'm deeply sorry for anyone who has this condition. I hope this gentleman has recovered and is fully functioning now.

[@austinhixson625]

This is hands down one of the most fascinating videos on all of KZbin

[@StephanieGudino-lv6ht]

What a sweetheart. God bless him. He has a good flow in the way he speaks, doesn't stutter or anything. He just keeps on going and I find that brilliant.

[@xxxCrackerJack501xxx]

I never even heard of this condition until recently, I'm reminded of an episode of Twilight Zone I think from the '80s where this guy wakes up and slowly language starts changing around him. First his son refers to "lunch" as "dinosaur" which he assumes was just a silly little kid thing but then his coworkers and wife use the term as well, throughout the episode more and more language starts changing into essentially gibberish around him until he can't understand them and in turn they can't understand a single word he's saying so he's forced to learn it all again starting with his son's preschool book showing pictures of stuff next to their corresponding word (I think they showed like "dog" is called "Wednesday" now or something) that episode always horrified me deeply and this aphasia condition reminds me of it. This guy seems in good spirits but I imagine it's probably confusing and terrifying a lot of the time

[@melody3741]

God dude twilight zone was really something fucking else wasn’t it. There is really nothing else like it, and with the time it came out, i would have expected it to be cheesy and fake scary, but its really freakjng disturbing psychological horror and its great.

[@xxxCrackerJack501xxx]

@@melody3741 ikr, the writers/Rod Serling were brilliant more often than not, the episode that still haunts me most from the classic 60's series is the one at the bus station with the doppelgängers it's so unnerving to think about

[@catbatrat1760]

GEEZ, that DOES sound terrifying! O_O Anyone know which episode it is?

[@xxxCrackerJack501xxx]

@@catbatrat1760 The episode is called "Wordplay" it's the A-story in the second episode of the first season of the 1985 Twilight Zone, turns out you can actually watch it on KZbin for free I highly recommend it

[@catbatrat1760]

@@xxxCrackerJack501xxx Wait, you can watch Twilight Zone on KZbin!?!? :O I legit didn't know that!

[@GS-hv9wk]

even though this man can't say it, I can tell he has a full heart. Currently studying this for Essentials of Cell Biology and Neuroscience @ Rutgers University.

[@everlasting9292]

He seems to have such a kind spirit and loving disposition. Even if his language is a little jumbled, I feel like he gets the point across. And those parting words were beautiful!!

[@powerofone1645]

A very gentle soul. May the blessings Be.

[@ahmed011301]

"And I hope the world lasts for you." You can tell he's a nice thoughtful person. Crazy

[@RetroDodo]

This is so inspiring, it just goes to show how much you can understand someone through facial expressions and tone of voice! :)

[@he-man3653]

Brandon Salt Thats sweet and all, but no, you can't tell what the hell he is trying to commumicate. You can only tell that he seems to be in a good mood.

[@dimitrijekrstic7567]

He Man I was thinking the same thing :D. "We were saving some hands, with them, with him" :D. No idea, but he seemed to be in a good mood

[@MrBillyBunks]

He Man He didn't say you could tell what he is specifically trying to communicate, he said how much you can understand someone through facial expression / tone / demeanor. The specifics of his message are lost but you get an understanding of his mood, his responsiveness, how friendly he his etc. A feeling for the person. This is also obvious when you're somewhere they don't speak English.

[@DKKUBALA]

You would be a behaviorist to assume so

[@johnr797]

I don't think inspiring is the right word

[@A129WOLFY]

it must be so frustrating to know what you want to talk about or express but then your words come out different or you cant find the right words bless this man

[@blockhead4791]

"I hope the world lasts for you." I haven't heard something as simply kind as that having been said by anyone for a long time. I hope he knows that what he said, whether on purpose or because of his condition, had a deep effect on people. It's made me tear up a little hearing it, I guess I'm sensitive.

[@cubonefan3]

It makes it sound like she’s going to die lol

[@blockhead4791]

@@cubonefan3 We all die one day

[@melissasalisbury1562]

My grandpa had a stroke earlier this year and he is like this when he talks, though he's improved quite a bit since the stroke. My grandma is pretty good at interpreting what he's trying to say.

[@petemavus2948]

My friend " Birdie " has brain cancer and since the day I met her I am usually able to intuit what she can't say/answer/describe and speak for her. She yells, " Yeah that's it " and we laugh, when I/ she can't figure it out I just usually say, oh well it will be okay and we let it go. She really won't tolerate any kind of harshness from people, she just quietly leaves.

[@RPiechocinski]

Thank you Mr. Peterson for allowing a video to demonstrate this kind of aphasia. I hope to work with stroke survivors one day and this is invaluable in my learning (and I'm sure other students!). Best of luck to you and all the therapists working hard with you to facilitate your recovery. Thanks again and God bless

[@Raven-fx5qm]

Yes! I am in grad school right now to be a SLP and this was very helpful

[@TheDigi321]

hey good luck in your journey

[@Aprilh03]

Loved hearing him mention how happy he is. That’s what matters most. 😌

[@annacarter6559]

His tone and body language is so kind and gentle. I would listen to this good man for hours. Words don’t matter, they don’t in this effed up world. People being gentle and kind to each other and loved ones does.

[@jeffbriggs1987]

What if he makes sense but none of us do?

[@CheeseBon]

+J Briggs Thats what Lyndon has said, we have a cup of soda, and maybe thats why they stood outside.

[@MrOmy371]

+J Briggs www.reddit.com/r/im14andthisisdeep/

[@TadRaunch]

Majority rules, I'm afraid. That's how language typically works.

[@DrGandW]

J Briggs stroke = woke

[@qaskas]

Does the J in your name stand for Jaden?

[@omarentertainment6550]

Bruce Willis sent me here.

[@whatwhat9589]

Yeah what you said

[@GlazeonthewickeR]

So much kindness in his eyes and smile.

[@SMXshow]

I’m here trying to understand what Bruce Willis is going through. Its crazy how it often takes a celebrity to learn what these illnesses are.

[@jeanettewittstein7656]

This is really quite fascinating.

[@simplehuman6769]

he sounds like he is speaking the language of wonderland, so whimsical and joyful!

[@lucygoosey69]

I’m bawling but I hope the very best for this wonderful man

[@valeriegage401]

This is beautiful. He communicates very well. This short vid reminded me when Charles Winchester from MASH got a recording from his sister who had a stutter as before he reprimanded a Soldier for bullying another who was speech impaired. The tone of your words speak for your heart.

[@jeffgoesrandom4217]

It's like free form poetry. He makes more sense and sounds more interesting than most people I talk to

[@quasarproductions2690]

It feels similar to being on LSD. When speaking, you will experience what seems like a meaningful conversation with another and you both just say random stuff. At the time and in the moment, it makes complete sense.

[@Numbingbird]

That's actually pretty interesting

[@jvaish]

It's not at all like being on LSD.

[@GhettoBoyDarcy]

it's a subjective experience

[@SomethingCool51]

+jvaish listening to someone talk when I'm on acid is usually like this. That said, I also have trouble talking when I trip sometimes. Too distracted, I guess.

[@convolution223]

i heard ecstasy does that too

[@samsquanch1996]

"I hope the world lasts for you." That is really an amazing phrase! Something tells me this man was a career writer before his stroke.

[@acecolby5545]

My father has this, had a head injury about 16 years ago. Changed over night. I'm fortunate enough for my kids and by brothers kids to have a loving grandfather.