Comprehension of the Matrix Clause in Embedded Sentences in Agrammatic Aphasia: A Test of the Trace-Deletion Hypothesis

Johnson, Danielle and Cannizarro, Michael (2008) Comprehension of the Matrix Clause in Embedded Sentences in Agrammatic Aphasia: A Test of the Trace-Deletion Hypothesis. [Clinical Aphasiology Paper]

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Abstract

Prior research has demonstrated that persons with agrammatic aphasia present with characteristic deficits in the comprehension of semantically-reversible noncanonical sentences. The aim of this study is to replicate the work of Hickok and colleagues (1993) who evaluated Grodzinsky’s Trace Deletion Hypothesis (TDH). Participants included two persons with agrammatic aphasia and one control subject. Results suggest that the comprehension of the matrix clause was impaired for one participant with aphasia while the second participant with aphasia did not demonstrate any comprehension deficits for any sentence construction tested. Implications for treatment with individuals with agrammatic aphasia and linguistic theory are discussed.

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