Wernicke's aphasia

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noun

Wer·​nicke's aphasia ˈver-nə-kəz-  -kēz- 

: sensory aphasia

specifically : sensory aphasia in which the affected individual speaks words fluently but without meaningful content

Wernicke's area

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noun

: an area located in the posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus that plays an important role in the comprehension of language

Wernicke's encephalopathy

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noun

: an acute inflammatory hemorrhagic encephalopathy that is caused by thiamine deficiency (such as that associated with chronic alcoholism or malnutrition) and is characterized by loss of muscle coordination, visual disturbances (such as abnormal eye movement and diplopia), and confusion and memory loss

Note: Wernicke's encephalopathy is life-threatening if untreated and often precedes Korsakoff syndrome.