Auditory Comprehension and Visual-Manual Tracking Dual-Task Performance in Aphasia: Preliminary Findings

Matthews, Christine and Hula, William and Fossett, Tepanta and Doyle, Patrick and McNeil, Malcolm
Auditory Comprehension and Visual-Manual Tracking Dual-Task Performance in Aphasia: Preliminary Findings. In Clinical Aphasiology Conference: Clinical Aphasiology Conference (2005 : 35th : Sanibel Island, FL : May 31-June 4, 2005) / : (2005).

Abstract

Impaired attention or its allocation has been proposed as an underlying mechanism for aphasic language performance deficits (e.g., McNeil, Odell, & Tseng, 1991). Therefore, aphasic language deficits should be magnified under more difficult conditions (i.e. presence and/or difficulty manipulation of a competing task). Twelve participants with aphasia completed a story retell procedure in isolation and under dual-task visual-manual tracking conditions. No significant differences were found in story retell when tracking task difficulty was manipulated or in story retell or tracking performance in single versus dual-task conditions. Performance trends suggest meaningful differences could be observed with a larger sample.