A Loss for Words: A Case of Aphemia

Aphemia, also known as pure motor mutism, is a rare disorder characterized by the loss of motor function to produce speech while retaining the ability to understand, read, and write language. Differentiating between aphemia and aphasia can be challenging in many cases, as they both present with similar physical exam findings. The key distinctions lie in the location of the insult in the cerebral parenchyma, the ability to understand language, and the associated dysphagia. We present the case of a 78-year-old male who presented with new-onset aphasia and was found to have aphemia based on physical examination and imaging findings.