What type of aphasia does a patient have when they do not understand incoming language?

In this scenario, the correct identification of the type of aphasia where a patient does not understand incoming language is receptive aphasia. This type of aphasia, often associated with damage to Wernicke's area in the brain, primarily affects comprehension. Individuals with receptive aphasia may be able to hear the words but have significant difficulty understanding their meaning, leading to ineffective communication despite intact speech production.

Patients with receptive aphasia may exhibit fluent speech that lacks meaning, as they struggle to grasp what others are saying. This contrasts with expressive aphasia, where understanding is generally preserved, but patients have trouble forming words or constructing sentences. Global aphasia combines features of both expressive and receptive aphasia, impacting both speech production and comprehension severely. Transitional aphasia is not a widely recognized term in this context.

Thus, recognizing receptive aphasia highlights the understanding of language processing within the brain, emphasizing the critical role comprehension plays in effective communication.