What can iconic gestures tell us about the language system? A case of conduction aphasia.

BACKGROUND: Speech and language therapists rarely analyse iconic gesture when assessing a client with aphasia, despite a growing body of research suggesting that language and gesture are part of either the same system or two highly integrated systems. This may be because there has been limited research that has systematically analysed iconic gesture production by people with aphasia. AIMS: The aim was to determine whether the gesture production of a participant with conduction aphasia was able to provide information about her language system. METHODS & PROCEDURES: The iconic gestures produced by a participant with conduction aphasia (LT) and five control participants produced during the retelling of a cartoon were analysed. In particular, the iconic gestures produced during lexical retrieval difficulties (co-tip-of-the-tongue (co-TOT) gestures) were compared with the iconic gestures produced during fluent speech (co-speech gestures). OUTCOMES & RESULTS: It was found that LT produced 57 co-speech gestures that were similar in form to the co-speech gestures produced by the control participants (mean = 34.2, standard deviation (SD) = 22.2). LT also produced an additional eleven co-TOT gestures that were unlike her co-speech gestures and unlike the co-speech gestures produced by the control participants. While the co-speech gestures depicted events, the co-TOT gestures depicted 'things' (for example, objects and animals). Furthermore, all but one of the co-TOT gestures produced by LT was classified as a shape-outline gesture, whereas co-speech gestures were rarely classified as shape-outline gestures. LT also produced a new type of gesture that has not previously been described in the literature: a homophone gesture. This co-TOT homophone gesture depicted the homophone of the target word. The iconic gestures produced by LT suggest that she had an intact semantic system but had difficulties with phonological encoding, consistent with a diagnosis of conduction aphasia. This raises the possibility that iconic gesture production can provide evidence about the level of breakdown in the language system. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: A larger study exploring the gestures produced by participants with aphasia is required. The research also highlights the importance of including gesture assessments in SLT's work with adults with acquired language disorder.

Negotiation of identity in group therapy for aphasia: the Aphasia Café.

BACKGROUND: There has been increasing interest in ensuring that aphasia intervention includes attention to the negotiation of a robust identity after the life-altering changes that often accompany the onset of aphasia. But how does one go about simultaneously improving communication and positive identity development within aphasia therapy? Socially oriented group therapy for aphasia has been touted as one means of addressing both psychosocial and communicative goals in aphasia. AIMS: This article describes the results of a sociolinguistic analysis of group therapy for aphasia in which positive personal and group identity are skilfully negotiated. METHODS & PROCEDURES: Sociolinguistic microanalysis of discourse in a group therapy session was undertaken. The session, described as group conversation therapy, included eight adults with aphasia, a speech-language pathologist and an assistant. The session was videotaped and transcribed, and the data were analysed to identify 'indices of identity' within the discourse. This included discourse that exposed members' roles, values or beliefs about themselves or others. The data were further analysed to identify 'patterns' of discourse associated with identity. The result is a detailed description of identity-enhancing discourse within group therapy for aphasia. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: The findings included several categories associated with the negotiation of identity in therapy including: (1) discourse demonstrating that group members were 'being heard', (2) that the competence of group members was assumed, (3) that 'solidarity' existed in the group, (4) that saving face and promoting positive personal identity was important, and (5) that markers of group identity were made visible via discourse that referenced both member inclusion as well as non-member exclusion. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: The results suggest that it is possible to create identity-enhancing interactions as part of therapy for aphasia; the analysis demonstrates the potential role of the group leader/clinician in managing identity negotiation in aphasia therapy.

Treatment of category generation and retrieval in aphasia: effect of typicality of category items.

PURPOSE: Kiran and colleagues (Kiran, 2007, 2008; Kiran & Johnson, 2008; Kiran & Thompson, 2003) previously suggested that training atypical examples within a semantic category is a more efficient treatment approach to facilitating generalization within the category than training typical examples. In the present study, the authors extended previous work examining the notion of semantic complexity within goal-derived (ad hoc) categories in individuals with aphasia. Methods Six individuals with fluent aphasia (age range = 39-84 years) and varying degrees of naming deficits and semantic impairments were involved. Thirty typical and atypical items, each from 2 categories, were selected after an extensive stimulus norming task. Generative naming for the 2 categories was tested during baseline and treatment. RESULTS: As predicted, training atypical examples in the category resulted in generalization to untrained typical examples in 5 of 5 patient-treatment conditions. In contrast, training typical examples (which was examined in 3 conditions) produced mixed results. One patient showed generalization to untrained atypical examples, whereas 2 patients did not show generalization to untrained atypical examples. CONCLUSION: Results of the present study supplement existing data on the effect of a semantically based treatment for lexical retrieval by manipulating the typicality of category examples.

The relevance of patient individuality in the evaluation and treatment of aphasia

The usual approach to language disorders relies on standardised evaluations in which pattern-tests characterise the subject's status according to the classical aphasiological typology. Those data are then analysed to support a traditional prevalent criterion for the distinction between "normal" and "pathological" linguistic performance, which is strictly focused on a quantitative approach. In the present study a method for evaluation and treatment of aphasia is proposed in which socio-cultural conditions are emphasised, in order to expand this conventional criterion as to encompass a qualitative (individualised) one. Although the methodology draws the attention, the results here obtained also point to the importance of re-evaluating what is presently considered as the most appropriate criterion for "normal" cognitive processes, particularly those related to language.

The relevance of patient individuality in the evaluation and treatment of aphasia. Case report.

The usual approach to language disorders relies on standardised evaluations in which pattern-tests characterise the subject's status according to the classical aphasiological typology. Those data are then analysed to support a traditional prevalent criterion for the distinction between "normal" and "pathological" linguistic performance, which is strictly focused on a quantitative approach. In the present study a method for evaluation and treatment of aphasia is proposed in which socio-cultural conditions are emphasised, in order to expand this conventional criterion as to encompass a qualitative (individualised) one. Although the methodology draws the attention, the results here obtained also point to the importance of re-evaluating what is presently considered as the most appropriate criterion for "normal" cognitive processes, particularly those related to language.