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The Auditory Comprehension of Unaccusative Verbs in Aphasia
No full textSome persons with aphasia, particularly those diagnosed with a Broca’s aphasia, exhibit a delayed time course of lexical activation in canonically ordered S-V-O sentences (Ferrill et al., 2012) and delayed re-activation of displaced arguments in sentences that contain syntactic dependencies (Love et al., 2008). These patterns support the Delayed Lexical Activation (DLA) hypothesis: Lexical activation is delayed relative to the normal case, and thus lexical activation and syntactic operations are de-synchronized; that is, lexical access is too slow for normally fast-acting syntactic operations. This delay in lexical access leads to what appear to be syntactic comprehension deficits in aphasia. In the current study we further examined lexical activation during sentence comprehension in persons with aphasia by using unaccusative verbs. Unaccusative verbs are a type of intransitive verb with a single argument that is base generated in object position and displaced to the surface subject position, leaving behind a copy or trace (‘gap’) of the movement (see, for example, Burzio, 1986), as in:
1. The girl vanished
Thus there is a syntactic dependency between the two positions. When encountering sentences that contain syntactic dependencies (e.g., object relatives, Wh-questions) neurologically unimpaired individuals immediately reactivate the displaced argument at the gap (Shapiro et al., 1999; Love et al., 2008). In contrast to this immediate reactivation, prior findings indicate that neurologically unimpaired individuals do not reactivate the displaced argument in similar sentences with unaccusative verbs until 750ms downstream from the gap (Friedmann et al., 2008). This built-in delay observed with unaccusative verbs in neurologically healthy participants provides a unique opportunity to further examine lexical delays in individuals with Broca’s aphasia. Importantly, individuals with Broca’s aphasia may have unaccusative verb deficits. Previous research has found that persons with aphasia have difficulty producing unaccusative verbs. Offline truth-value judgment tasks with intransitive sentences containing unaccusative verbs do not reveal comprehension deficits (Lee & Thompson, 2004). However, in a sentence-picture matching task, McAllister et al. (2009) found lower accuracy for intransitive sentences that contained unaccusative verbs than transitive sentences. We entertain the following hypothesis: The delayed lexical access routines better synchronize with the delay of reactivating the argument of unaccusatives, suggesting that individuals with Broca’s aphasia should evince a pattern like that of unimpaired individuals. Alternatively, participants with Broca’s aphasia might show activation even further downstream from the gap, given that in other sentence constructions containing syntactic dependencies they exhibit a delayed pattern of reactivation compared to neurologically unimpaired individuals
Impact of Personalization on Acquisition and Generalization of Script Training: A Preliminary Analysis
No full textEight individuals with chronic aphasia underwent intensive computer-based script training. Trained and untrained generalization scripts, matched for length and complexity, were developed. The two scripts shared personalized and non-personalized words/phrases. Training lasted three weeks. Script performance was probed periodically. For acquisition, the gain from baseline to post-treatment for both personalized and non-personalized words/phrases on the trained script was significant; the effect size of personalization over non-personalization was moderate. For generalization, the gain for both personalized and non-personalized items was also significant, but the effect size of personalization over non-personalization was small. Limitations of the study are discussed
Reframing pure alexia: Models of visual processing and implications for assessment and treatment strategies
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AAC revolutionizes aphasia therapy: Changes in cortical plasticity and spoken language production
Full text linkRestorative interventions are frequently preferred as augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC) interventions are thought to impede neural recovery (Pulvermuller &
Berthier, 2008; Weissling & Prentice, 2010). But, clinical observations suggest AAC
interventions may improve aphasia (Dietz, Weissling, Griffith, & McKelvey, 2012). The purpose of this study was to compare the influence of a novel AAC and traditional restorative (TR) intervention on linguistic recovery and neural reorganization
Evaluation of Demographic and Language Predictors of Main Concept Production in Spanish/English Bilingual Discourse Using Nicolas and Brookshire Stimuli
No full textHispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the US, and stroke incidence for Hispanics is higher than that of non-Hispanic caucasians (Dong et al., 2012). Since stroke is the leading cause of aphasia, and the majority of Hispanics are bilingual Spanish/English speakers, there is a growing need for appropriate assessment methods for bilingual aphasia.
One challenge in assessing bilinguals is their diverse language backgrounds, including differences in proficiency and use across languages. Previous studies have reported correlations between variables such as frequency of use and self-rated proficiency and performance in language tasks such as picture-naming accuracy (Edmonds & Donovan, 2012; Gollan et al. 2007), verbal fluency (Muñoz & Marquardt, 2008, Langdon et al., 2005; Elgamal et al., 2011), and discourse informativeness (Edmonds, 2013).
In a study investigating discourse in 83 English/ Spanish bilingual adults, Edmonds (2013) reported varied patters of correlations for informativeness and efficiency measures (WPM, %CIUs, CIUs/min ) in English and Spanish. Naming accuracy and overall proficiency were significantly correlated with all measures of informativeness regardless of language; whereas, percent usage and age of exposure varied across languages (Edmonds, 2013).
The metric of %CIU is often used to evaluate informativeness in discourse, but %CIU does not address the completeness of the discourse. I.e., one can achieve high %CIUs by providing correct information on half the picture, thus, targeting only half of the main concepts (MC). Alternatively, many MCs can be discussed with lower %CIU due to repetitions, circumlocutions and reformulations. In order to understand this dynamic better in bilinguals with varying degrees of proficiency across langauges, we adapted Nicholas and Brookshire’s (1993, 1995) MC analysis to this population. Our research questions were:
1) Is there a relationship (correlation) between %CIUs and MCs?
2) What self-reported participant variables (e.g., proficiency ratings, usage) and tested language variables (discourse variables, confrontation naming) correlate to English and Spanish MCs?
3) Of the significantly correlated variables, which contribute most to regression models of MCs in English and Spanish
Script training and its application to everyday life observed in an aphasia center
No full textScript training focuses on improved production of personally relevant monologues and dialogues through intensive practice. Commonly reported components of script training include use of personally relevant or functional scripts, a structured cueing hierarchy, and intensive rehearsal of scripted lines to promote automaticity (Youmans, Holland, Munoz, & Bourgeois, 2005; Lee, Kaye, & Cherney, 2009; Youmans, Youmans, & Hancock, 2011; Goldberg, Haley, & Jacks, 2012; Fridriksson et al., 2012). Fridriksson et al. (2012) also trained a series of common scripts to study neurophysiological changes that result from such training.
This proposal presents results from four persons with aphasia (PWA) who received script training in an aphasia center, where there is opportunity to observe the effect of that training on everyday life. A secondary goal is to examine what, if any, individual, intervention, or environmental factors might affect a PWA’s ability to benefit from such training
Thin vs. Thick Description: A Critical Analysis of Representations of PWA in the CSD Literature
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There’s more than one way to skin a cat: Teaching novel idioms
No full textDifficulties with interpretation of non-literal language (e.g., idioms, metaphors) have been reported in adults with brain injury and in second-language learners. This study compared the effectiveness of a traditional definition approach to teaching idioms with learning through supportive contexts. Six healthy older adults learned the meaning of 24 novel idioms; 12 were taught through definitions and the remaining 12 through supportive contexts. Results indicated that participants learned idioms equally well in both conditions, in both immediate and delayed recall. This provides support for the idea that a context-based strategy may be an effective method for teaching novel idioms
Difficulty linking macro- and microlinguistic processes for narrative production following TBI
Full text linkSubstantial evidence has accumulated over the past 35 years suggesting deficient intersentential cohesion in the narrative discourse of many individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Since Mentis and Prutting (1987) reported significantly fewer cohesive ties in the narratives of brain-injured versus normal speakers, a number of reports have replicated and expanded upon these findings (e.g., Coelho, Liles, & Duffy, 1995; Davis & Coelho, 2004; Hartley & Jensen, 1991; Liles, Coelho, Duffy, & Zalagans, 1989; Marini et al., 2011). At the same time, several studies have not found evidence of deficient intersentential cohesion in these adults (Coelho, 2002; Glosser & Deser, 1991; Hough & Barrow, 2003). It can be said then that the narratives produced by at least some speakers with TBI tend to show less adequate intersentential cohesion than that observed in normal speakers (Cannizzaro & Coelho, 2012; Coelho, 2007).
Variable microlinguistic impairment has also been observed in narrative discourse following TBI. Sentences produced by speakers with TBI have been reported to include more lexical and syntactic errors, increased mazes, more frequent pausing, and greater reductions in content when compared to normal speakers (Ellis & Peach, 2009; Glosser & Deser, 1991; Hartley & Jensen, 1991; Peach, 2013; Peach & Schaude, 1986; Stout, Yorkston, & Pimenthal, 2000). Such narratives also tend to be less efficient (i.e., lengthier and containing more words per maze) (Erlich, 1988; Hartley & Jensen, 1991; Stout et al., 2000) and less complex (Coelho, Grela, Corso, Gamble, & Feinn, 2005; Peach, Shapiro, Rubin, & Schaude, 1990) than those produced by normal speakers. Nonetheless, other studies have not found few, if any, such microlinguistic disturbances in speakers with TBI (Hough & Barrow, 2003; Marini et al., 2011).
It has been suggested that brain injury produces a dissociation between the macrolinguistic and microlinguistic components of narrative production (Glosser & Deser, 1991; Hough & Barrow, 2003) and thus, that the processing of discourse and the processing of sentences are based on different cognitive devices (Consentino, Adornetti, & Ferretti, 2013). Alternatively, it might be that the macrolinguistic structure of narratives produced by brain injured speakers is affected by their microlinguistic impairments (see, e.g., Boyle, 2011; Christiansen, 1995). Given the variable patterns that have been observed in the narratives of speakers with TBI, it may be that narrative production following TBI is the result of an effortful interaction between macrolinguistic and microlinguistic processes rather than dissociation of separate cognitive mechanisms. However, few studies exist that attempt to establish the connections between these different levels of language. As a result, there is little information available to describe how specific changes at either level may influence the processing of narrative discourse. Armstrong (2000) has suggested that cohesion analysis is one of the few methods which directly attempts to link the macro- and microlinguistic aspects of discourse. This study therefore investigated the relationship between intersentential cohesion and microlinguistic impairments in discourse produced by speakers with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI)