Showing papers on "Aphasia published in 1976"
TL;DR: A neuropsychological dissociation of heuristic and algorithmic processes based primarily, though not exclusively, on semantic and syntactic information, respectively is supported.
943 citations
TL;DR: In this subject, the first question both logically and chronologically was and is: Can a lesion (focal damage) of the cerebrum cause a loss of language without causing an accompanying loss of intelligence?
Abstract: In this subject, the first question both logically and chronologically was and is: Can a lesion (focal damage) of the cerebrum cause a loss of language without causing a loss of intelligence? That is the original question, still debated hotly by many people. Much of the heat is attributable to the way in which the question is phrased. Suppose we phrase it relatively, as follows: Can a lesion of the cerebrum produce a deficit in language that is far in excess of the concomitant deficit in intelligence? Asked in this way, almost everyone would answer yes. There are worthy persons who are still arguing that anyone who has a loss of language from a cerebral lesion must have some accompanying loss of intelligence. Similarly, there are equally worthy persons recurrently showing us that intelligence can be preserved in spite of severe aphasia. Both parties are undoubtedly correct. But the force of either argument is largely dissipated when the question is rephrased in the relative way. Of course, how much intelligence is lost (or retained) depends upon how one goes about measuring intelligence; but with almost any measures, except those strictly linguistic, the answer will be yes. Indeed, if the answer were not yes, there would not be such a thing as aphasia, since a "selective loss of language from a cerebral lesion" is what the word "aphasia" means in contemporary usage. Once we all understand that there is such a thing as aphasia, we come to a second question. It is: Can one indicate those places in the cerebrum where an aphasiogenic lesion is likely to occur? Again the answer is yes-an aphasiogenic lesion occurs in right-handed people in the right hemisphere I% of the time, perhaps 2% at most. If you have a person who is definitely right-handed, and he has a cerebral lesion that produces a loss of language far out of proportion to the loss of intelligence, the odds are about 50 to I that the lesion is in the left hemisphere. Indeed, one can localize better than that..It is rather unlikely that the lesion will be in the left occipital pole. It is even less likely that it will be in the left temporal pole and it is very unlikely, although not impossible, that it will be in the left frontal pole. So, in this negative way, we can narrow down to some extent where an aphasiogenic lesion will occur. There is a third question, raised by Wernicke 1 about 1874: Is there more than one kind of aphasia? In other words, when a person suffers linguistic loss with relative preservation of general intelligence, can the linguistic loss be of more than one kind? When we look at the patients, it is obvious that they are different. The question is, should those differences be emphasized, and how? There are almost as many classifications of aphasia as there are aphasiologists. Rephrasing this third question does not seem to help with this argument, which has continued unabated for over a century. In the words of Lhermitte and Gautier: 2
245 citations
TL;DR: Both latency and miss rate measures indicated that failure to name a word is associated with reduced semantic field for that word, supporting the view that nameing is, in part, determined by the convergence of associations.
228 citations
TL;DR: The dysphasics' performance was significantly poorer than that of even the four-and-one-half-year-old normal group on rapidly presented auditory sequences, but not significantly different from normal children their own age or adults on the same patterns which were presented more slowly.
Abstract: Four-and-one-half- to eight-and-one-half-year-old children with normal language development, normal adults, and dysphasic children were tested for their ability to perceive binary sequences of nonv...
179 citations
01 Jan 1976
TL;DR: The neural basis of language qua gesture is discussed in this paper, where it has been shown that the left parietal region is an important part of a system controlling certain motor sequences, vocal and manual.
Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the neural basis of language qua gesture. Evidence from normal and neurological studies has been reviewed to show that speaking and some manual activities are associated. The chapter discusses the facts such as: (1) the association between hand preference and speech lateralization in the brain; (2) the frequent occurrence of certain hand movements during speaking; (3) the relation of limb apraxia with aphasia, in left-hemisphere lesions; and (4) the association of manual communication disorders in the deaf, with left-hemisphere damage. It has been proposed that the left parietal region is an important part of a system controlling certain motor sequences, vocal and manual. Such left-hemisphere specialization for manual skills—and possibly manual communication—appears to have evolved as early as for speech. The symbolic-language functions of the left hemisphere are assumed to be a secondary consequence of specialization for motor function.
174 citations
TL;DR: Evidence for the hypothesis that each type of aphasia is determined by the degree of dominance establishment existing at the moment of brain damage is presented through a comparison of aPsia in left-handers and “anomalous” dextrals with aphasIA in childhood.
Abstract: The hypothesis is advanced that cerebral dominance includes two elements, interhemispheric specification for language (lateralization) and intrahemispheric language, specification (localization). Consequently, each type of aphasia is determined by the degree of dominance establishment (i.e., lateralization and localization) existing at the moment of brain damage. Evidence for this concept is presented through a comparison of aphasia in left-handers and "anomalous" dextrals with aphasia in childhood.
170 citations
TL;DR: In both fluent and nonfluent groups, hemiparesis and/or visual field cut were associated with poor prognosis; among survivors, aphasia improved in 52%, and in only 13% did it clear completely.
Abstract: Previous surveys of stroke populations have offered only cursory information on language disturbance, and, conversely, few surveys of aphasic populations have dealth exclusively with stroke or with acute phenomena. This paper describes aphasia in 850 acute stroke patients consecutively registered by the Harlem Regional Stroke Program, of whom 177 (21%) were aphasic; of these, nine were of Broca's type, 24 were of Wernicke's type, 14 were of anomic, ten were conduction, seven were of "isolation" type, and 107 were "mixed." An unexpected finding was a significant over-representation of men among the nonfluent aphasics. During the following four to 12 weeks, 12% of fluent aphasics died, and 12% remained moderately or severely impaired; among survivors, aphasia improved in 74%, and in 44% it cleared completely. During the same period, 32% of nonfluent aphasics died, and 34% remained moderately or severely impaired; among survivors, aphasia improved in 52%, and in only 13% did it clear completely. In both flue...
167 citations
TL;DR: On the test of symbolic gesture interpretation aphasic patients performed significantly worse than any other group of brain-damaged patients and only a mild relationship was found between comprehension and reproduction of symbolic gestures.
162 citations
TL;DR: Melodic intonation therapy (MIT), a method developed to assist the adult aphasic regain verbal communication, is presented with step-by-step procedures and suggestions.
Abstract: Melodic intonation therapy (MIT), a method developed to assist the adult aphasic regain verbal communication, is presented with step-by-step procedures and suggestions. Also described is the type o...
152 citations
TL;DR: The results indicated that conduction aphasics were superior to Wernicke's and anomic asphasics in their ability to identify both the first letter and the syllabic length of the words they could not name.
152 citations
TL;DR: The concern of this paper is to show that pathological data can also be used to study the normal language process; that they are relevant for a theory of language function, as well as for the eventual ascription of that function to the brain.
Abstract: The language disorders that result from organic brain disease have mostly been used to answer anatomical questions: which areas of the brain subserve language? The concern of this paper is to show that pathological data can also be used to study the normal language process; that they are relevant for a theory of language function, as well as for the eventual ascription of that function to the brain. We hope that this will emerge from the data that comprise the second part of the paper. The first part, a general consideration of the neuropsychological approach to the study of language function, is included here in an effort to correct some prevailing misconceptions.
TL;DR: Alajouanine et al.'s pioneering neurolinguistic studies of phonetic disintegration, both in the semiological context of Broca's aphasia and as an isolated clinical entity, are briefly discussed.
TL;DR: The evidence suggests that some severely aphasic patients can master the basics of an alternative symbol system, and several indices suggest that the communicative consequences of the system are appreciated, and that at least some of the cognitive operations entailed in natural language persist despite severe aphasia.
TL;DR: In this paper, different varieties of deviant spoken language segments (phonemic, morphemic, verbal, and syntagmic paraphasias and telescopages, neologisms) and different forms of spoken language behaviors (thematic production, dyssyntaxia, glossolalia, and glossomania) are defined and exemplified.
TL;DR: A patient with a rather pure word deafness showed extreme suppression of right ear signals under dichotic conditions, suggesting that speech signals were being processed in the right hemisphere.
TL;DR: Experimental evidence is marshalled in support of some arguments for a significant genetic component in the transmission of human handedness.
Abstract: Experimental evidence is marshalled in support of some arguments for a significant genetic component in the transmission of human handedness. Studies of infantile lateral asymmetries and their correlation with cerebral dominance, certain highly heritable traits, and handedness are discussed.
TL;DR: Fourteen aphasic patients with acute onset of thromboembolic cerebrovascular insults demonstrable by angiography or radioscintigrams who were available for long-term follow-up have been studied and bilateral lesions, at times evasive clinically, helped to account for significant aphasia residuals.
Abstract: Fourteen aphasic patients with acute onset of thromboembolic cerebrovascular insults demonstrable by angiography or radioscintigrams who were available for long-term follow-up have been studied. Their aphasia evolution was compared with acute angiographical and radioisotopic findings, and the lesions shown by follow-up computerized axial tomography (CT). Angiographical site of occlusion, evidence of early reopening of occluded vessels, and radioisotopic flow asymmetries including the "hot-stroke" luxury perfusion failed to correlate with aphasia outcome. Radioisotopic static images were more helpful by depicting lesion location and number but lacked the definition seen on the CT scan. The long-term CT scan by showing the size, location and number of lesions had a good correlation with aphasia outcome. Those patients with large dominant hemisphere involvements, either one large or many smaller lesions, fared poorly while those with lesser lesions did better. Bilateral lesions, at times evasive clinically, helped to account for significant aphasia residuals.
TL;DR: Intensive language training starting in the preschool years and possibly introduction of systematic sign language may be useful for both groups and especially valuable for aphasic children with more intact language competence.
Abstract: Congenital, developmental, and idiopathic acquired aphasia form a spectrum of primary childhood aphasias characterized by profound disturbances in expressive language, relatively much better language comprehension; by the capacity for inner language, imaginative play, gesture, mime, and warm social relations; and by a variety of associated behavioral and cognitive difficulties (dependency, immaturity, hyperactivity, encoding and decoding problems). The presence of paroxysmal electroencephalographic abnormalities suggests cortical dysfunction. In contrast to this spectrum, the childhood autism syndrome appears earlier in life (during a prelinguistic developmental phase) and is characterized by an impoverishment of inner language; paucity of mime, gesture, and imitation; and much greater disturbance in social attachment and regulation of anxiety. Midbrain and brainstem dysfunctions involving catecholamine pathways may underlie some aspects of this syndrome. Because of complex, reciprocal effects between various neurological systems in the central nervous system, there may be mixed aphasic-autistic syndromes and familial clustering of both types of disorders. Intensive language training starting in the preschool years and possibly introduction of systematic sign language may be useful for both groups and especially valuable for aphasic children with more intact language competence.
TL;DR: A new form of a Sentence Order Test was applied to a group of Broca's, Wernicke's and total aphasics, finding that some of the sentences could be arranged in two different ways.
TL;DR: It is unlikely that the language disorder in autism is either a severe form of receptive-executive developmental dysphasia, or Dysphasia combined with visual impairments causing failure to develop visual language systems.
Abstract: SummaryIn this paper some theories which see language disorder as having a central role in the genesis of the autistic syndrome are described, and evidence relating to these theories is discussed. It is concluded:(1) that it is unlikely that the language disorder in autism is either a severe form of receptive-executive developmental dysphasia, or dysphasia combined with visual impairments causing failure to develop visual language systems;(2) that the language disorder is not a disorder of inner language in the sense of being an impairment of symbolizing processes, nor in the sense of being a global impairment of the acquisition of concepts and conceptual thinking;(3) that there is no reason to suppose that any one criterial feature of autism (such as language impairment) is primary in the sense of causing other criterial features of autistic behaviour to occur; moreover, defects of communication and inner language are almost certainly cognitive in origin and may only be part of a wide ranging cognitive i...
TL;DR: Memory for sequences became critical for linguistic performance of aphasics as information load increased, and memory for sequences was significantly impaired in aphasic only.
TL;DR: The organization of neurological structures whose lesions produce language disturbances seems to be independent from the acquisition of reading and writing skills.
Abstract: • Aphasia in focal brain-damaged illiterates is analogous to aphasia in patients who have learned how to read and write, regarding (1) expectancy rate, (2) distribution of clinical types, (3) semiological structure, and (4) score of relevant laboratory variables. The organization of neurological structures whose lesions produce language disturbances seems to be independent from the acquisition of reading and writing skills.
TL;DR: The personality background of 20 patients with jargon aphasia was compared to that of a standard aphasic group with particular reference to features of the so called anosognosic personality; denial or marked overt fear of illness and strong work orientation.
TL;DR: Use of a particular behavior and the success with which it facilitated production of an intended word appeared strongly related to severity of aphasia.
Abstract: This study determined (1) the types of word retrieval behaviors employed by aphasic adults in conversation and (2) the degree to which identified behaviors were successful in prompting production of intended words. Five retrieval behaviors—delay, semantic association, phonetic association, description, and generalization—were identified. It was possible to organize the retrieval behaviors of 18 aphasic subjects in a hierarchical order of efficiency. Use of a particular behavior and the success with which it facilitated production of an intended word appeared strongly related to severity of aphasia. Findings again bring to focus the significance of the associational processes to the problem of word retrieval in aphasia.
TL;DR: Data obtained in this study indicate that perseverative responses occur more often in brain-injured than in normal subjects, with higher incidences of the repetitious type occurring.
TL;DR: If in aphasia the signs of semantic impairment that can be observed at the levels of language production and of auditory comprehension are independent, or if they are reciprocally related, is studied.
Abstract: SummaryThe aim of the present research consisted in studying if in aphasia the signs of semantic impairment that can be observed at the levels of language production and of auditory comprehension are independent, or if they are reciprocally related. The emission of one or more semantic paraphasias at a test of naming pictures was considered as indicative of a semantic disorder at the expressive level, while the number of semantic errors obtained at the ‘ ‘verbal sound and. meaning discrimination test” was retained as an index of the defect of semantic discrimination at the receptive level. One hundred and thirteen unselected aphasic patients were taken into account in our research: 77 of them (68 %) showed at least one semantic paraphasia at the test of naming pictures, whereas 60 (53 %) obtained a pathological number of semantic errors at the test of verbal auditory comprehension. The emission of semantic paraphasias and the impairment of the semantic system at the receptive level were strongly reciproca...
TL;DR: In the course of language therapy, auditory and reading comprehension improved almost simultaneously in both English and Japanese, and oral language production and writing abilities improved markedly only for the treated language.
TL;DR: Clinical test performance of aphasics on tasks requiring various levels of communicative abilities was affected by rate of stimulus presentation and implications involve the clinician's attention to rate, presentation, and control of complexity of material.
TL;DR: By examining the ways in which principal features of VIC are acquired, insight can be gained into the function served by the system, patients’ grasp of the essential features of theSystem, and the relationship between VIC and other systems of communication employed by primates, infrahuman as well as human.
Abstract: The recent devising of a new form of aphasia therapy has provided a n opportunity to investigate the ability of the severely aphasic patient to communicate in other than his natural language. In this therapeutic innovation called VIC (for VIsual Communication), messages are written on index cards which are laid down from left to right. The patient initially observes others as they communicate with the system; eventually he is drawn into the interchanges, first as a “comprehender,” later as a “producer” of messages. Goals of the VIC program, methods of instruction employed in daily therapy sessions, and the degree to which patients have demonstrated success in mastering the system have been detailed elsewhere (e.g. Refs. 1-3). A few points about VIC should nonetheless be noted here. First of all, two levels of language use are entailed in the system. At Level I , three communicative functions are taught in the following order: I ) carrying out commands; 2) answering questions; 3) describing events. For patients who master these tasks, Level 2 training explores their ability to express feelings and immediate needs via this alternative mode of communication. The degree of success achieved by patients has been documented both in quantitative terms3 and by means of case studies.3~4 Finally, in what follows, the various ideographic and arbitrary geometric designs which refer in VIC to particular objects and elements have been termed symbols; as symbols, they carry the semantic or referential portions of the VIC system. The formal relations that obtain among these symbols when they are organized into messages have been considered the syntax of VIC. Given that patients can master one or both of the levels of VIC, and that the system has a place in rehabilitation, questions of fundamental theoretical importance remain. To begin with, just what are the patients learning: an elaborate game (cf. Brown.5 Lenneberg,”), a genuine language-like communicative system, or perhaps some hybrid? And relatedly, by what means d o those successful with VIC acquire its basic components? by sudden insights, trial-anderror, or a gradual series of steps? By examining the ways in which principal features of VIC are acquired, insight can be gained into the function served by the system, patients’ grasp of the essential features of the system, and the relationship between VIC and other systems of communication employed by primates, infrahuman as well as human.