The effects of dual-task conditions on micro- and macro-linguistics aspects of spoken discourse in aphasia

Murray, Laura (2012) The effects of dual-task conditions on micro- and macro-linguistics aspects of spoken discourse in aphasia. [Clinical Aphasiology Paper]

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Abstract

Currently, there is increasing empirical and clinical interest in the integrity of nonlinguistic, cognitive processes (e.g., attention, working memory) in aphasia, and the relationship between these processes and aphasic symptoms and outcomes (Adrover-Roig et al., 2011; Fucetola et al., 2009; Murray, 2012). Indeed, recent findings support an emerging conceptualization of aphasia in which deficits in extra-linguistic cognitive functions may generate or intensify linguistic impairments (Hula & McNeil, 2008; Murray & Kean, 2004). The purpose of the current study was to specify further this processing or resource model of aphasia by examining interactions between spoken discourse and general cognitive skills in aphasic adults using a dual-task paradigm. Previous findings indicate that cognitive factors can negatively influence discourse in healthy, aphasic, and other patient populations (Duong et al., 2005; Plummer-D’Amato et al., 2008; Rogalski et al., 2010). For example, Murray et al. (1998) found that for aphasic adults, aspects of discourse formulation hypothesized to rely on relatively controlled as opposed to automatic processes were most vulnerable under dual-task conditions; however, only the interaction between increased attentional demands and microlinguistic processes were examined, even though aphasia can compromise macrolinguistic abilities (Chapman et al., 1998; Rousseaux et al., 2010). Further, adults with a limited range of aphasia types and severities participated in this study, and whether material-specific limitations (i.e., discourse characteristics during a non-distracting condition), general cognitive abilities (i.e., cognitive test scores), or both are important predictors of dual-task outcomes was not examined.

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