Proverb interpretation in fluent aphasia and Alzheimer's disease: Implications beyond abstract thinking

Chapman, S. B. and Ulatowska, H. K. and Franklin, L. R. and Shobe, A. E. and Thompson, J. L. and McIntire, D. D. (1997) Proverb interpretation in fluent aphasia and Alzheimer's disease: Implications beyond abstract thinking. [Journal (Paginated)]

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Abstract

This study compared proverb processing across three groups, i.e. patients with fluent aphasia (APH), patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and normal control subjects (NC). Proverb stimuli were used to examine the effects of group membership and proverb familiarity in two presentation formats (i.e. spontaneous versus multiple-choice) on performance. The sensitivity of cognitive measures as predictors of ability to interpret proverbs was also investigated. In relation to NC subjects, patients with fluent APH exhibited significant difficulty formulating responses for familiar and unfamiliar spontaneous proverbs, whereas patients with AD demonstrated lower performance only on the unfamiliar proverbs. On the multiple-choice paradigm, however, patients with APH exhibited minimal difficulty. Conversely, the patients with AD manifested significant problems selecting the correct abstract response for familiar proverbs. With regard to predictors, language was relevant to familiar proverb interpretations and to proverbs presented in the spontaneous format. Cognition was a sensitive predictor for unfamiliar proverb interpretations and to the multiple-choice format. Deficits on the proverb tasks are discussed with reference to the potential breakdown of underlying linguistic and cognitive processes. The present data support the diagnostic value of proverbs in elucidating brain- behaviour relationships.

Item Type: Journal (Paginated)
Additional Information: Copyright by Taylor & Francis Ltd. Used with permission.
Uncontrolled Keywords: DEMENTIA; SPEECH
Depositing User: Demetrios Ioannides
Date Deposited: 22 Sep 2003
Last Modified: 31 Oct 2016 15:13
Conference: Clinical Aphasiology Conference > Clinical Aphasiology Conference (1996 : 26th : Newport, RI : June 1996)
Conference Date: June 1996
Location: Newport, R.I.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Journal or Publication Title: Aphasiology
Volume: 11
Number: 4-5
Publication Location: London
ISSN: 1464-5041
URI: http://aphasiology.pitt.edu/id/eprint/1103

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