Summary:Five patients with Wernicke aphasia are presented who had sufficient and rapid enough recovery of language functions so that they were able to provide detailed introspections regarding their experiences when aphasic. Based on their introspections, clinical interactions with the patients during their illness and emerging concepts regarding the neurology of affect and emotions, a possible neurology is offered to explain why certain behaviors may occur with Wernicke aphasia, in particular acute agitation, unawareness of deficit and fluctuations in comprehension. Also, a behavioral strategy is outlined for managing agitation that does not rely on pharmacological intervention with neuroleptics or physical restraints.