Final answer:
A 55-year-old patient with 'broken speech' likely has expressive aphasia, also known as Broca's aphasia, which is associated with damage to Broca's area in the frontal lobe and the superior division of the middle cerebral artery.
Step-by-step explanation:
A 55-year-old patient with acute 'broken speech' is likely experiencing a type of aphasia known as expressive aphasia, also referred to as Broca's aphasia. This condition is characterized by non-fluent, halting speech and a loss of grammatical structures, which results from damage to Broca's area. Broca's area is located in the lateral aspect of the frontal lobe, just anterior to the region of the motor cortex associated with the head and neck. The vascular distribution associated with Broca's area involves the superior division of the middle cerebral artery (MCA), which is responsible for supplying blood to the lateral surface of the frontal lobe where Broca's area is situated.