What is the term for the impairment of language usually caused by damage to the left hemisphere of the brain?

The term for the impairment of language often resulting from damage to the left hemisphere of the brain is aphasia. This condition can manifest in various ways, including difficulties with speaking, understanding language, reading, and writing. Aphasia typically arises from strokes, head injuries, or other neurological conditions that affect areas of the brain responsible for language processing, most notably Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area, which are located in the left hemisphere.

In contrast, amnesia refers to memory loss, dyslexia pertains to difficulties with reading and language processing that are not primarily attributed to a specific brain injury, and anomia is a specific type of aphasia characterized by difficulties in naming objects or retrieving words. While all these terms relate to language and cognition, aphasia specifically encompasses the broader impairment of language functionalities due to neurological damage, making it the most accurate term for the described condition.