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Assessment of explicit and implicit linguistic impairments in patients with aphasia after resection of tumour of the left cerebral hemisphere. Preliminary results
- Katedra i Oddział Kliniczny Neurochirurgii w Sosnowcu, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach
- Zakład Psychologii Klinicznej i Neuropsychologii, Instytut Psychologii UMCS w Lublinie
- Powiatowa Poradnia Psychologiczno-Pedagogiczna w Bielsku-Białej
- Zakład Epidemiologii, Wydział Zdrowia Publicznego w Bytomiu, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach
- Katedra Neuropsychologii, Wydział Psychologii Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego w Warszawie
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Abstract
Classical definitions of aphasia describe deficits of different language levels (syntactic, semantic, phonologic) hindering the ability to communicate. Recent studies indicate, however, that impairment of particular aspects of linguistic competencies in aphasia differs in severity. Contemporary approach to the aphasic symptoms presents them as disturbed access of linguistic representations to the awareness system. Accordingly, such an approach requires different types of tasks: direct, involving explicit language processes, and indirect, based on implicit language representations. The aim of our study was to examine explicit and implicit language processes in patients with aphasia after resection of the tumour of left cerebral hemisphere along with characterization of relationships between explicit and implicit language processes.
Material and methodsOur cohort included 28 right-handed patients who were divided into four equal groups: two clinical (brain tumours) and two control (lumbar disc disease). Four tasks that assess and compare language processes: lexical decisions (at explicit and implicit levels), sorting of picture captions and word monitoring were implemented.
ResultsIn direct tasks, patients with aphasia provided less correct lexical decisions at word level, but did not show deficits in sentence comprehension. In both groups, no priming effect was observed in tasks requiring implicit lexical decisions. The longest time was found in non-primed words, the shortest in pseudowords. The differences between groups regarding word monitoring were also observed. Patients with aphasia obtained longer reaction times in all types of sentences (of different grade of language correctness), with respect to low- and high- frequency words.
ConclusionsPatients with aphasia after brain tumour resection show more pronounced impairments of explicit than implicit linguistic behavior; the same effect was found in studies on forgetting in amnestic syndrome.
Abstract
Classical definitions of aphasia describe deficits of different language levels (syntactic, semantic, phonologic) hindering the ability to communicate. Recent studies indicate, however, that impairment of particular aspects of linguistic competencies in aphasia differs in severity. Contemporary approach to the aphasic symptoms presents them as disturbed access of linguistic representations to the awareness system. Accordingly, such an approach requires different types of tasks: direct, involving explicit language processes, and indirect, based on implicit language representations. The aim of our study was to examine explicit and implicit language processes in patients with aphasia after resection of the tumour of left cerebral hemisphere along with characterization of relationships between explicit and implicit language processes.
Material and methodsOur cohort included 28 right-handed patients who were divided into four equal groups: two clinical (brain tumours) and two control (lumbar disc disease). Four tasks that assess and compare language processes: lexical decisions (at explicit and implicit levels), sorting of picture captions and word monitoring were implemented.
ResultsIn direct tasks, patients with aphasia provided less correct lexical decisions at word level, but did not show deficits in sentence comprehension. In both groups, no priming effect was observed in tasks requiring implicit lexical decisions. The longest time was found in non-primed words, the shortest in pseudowords. The differences between groups regarding word monitoring were also observed. Patients with aphasia obtained longer reaction times in all types of sentences (of different grade of language correctness), with respect to low- and high- frequency words.
ConclusionsPatients with aphasia after brain tumour resection show more pronounced impairments of explicit than implicit linguistic behavior; the same effect was found in studies on forgetting in amnestic syndrome.
Keywords
tumours of the left cerebral hemisphere, explicit and implicit language processes, aphasia, priming
Title
Assessment of explicit and implicit linguistic impairments in patients with aphasia after resection of tumour of the left cerebral hemisphere. Preliminary results
Journal
Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska
Issue
Pages
555-563
Page views
304
Article views/downloads
299
DOI
10.5114/ninp.2013.39073
Bibliographic record
Neurol Neurochir Pol 2013;47(6):555-563.
Keywords
tumours of the left cerebral hemisphere
explicit and implicit language processes
aphasia
priming
Authors
Monika Teresa Stomal-Słowińska
Beata Daniluk
Joanna Trela
Jerzy Słowiński
Krzysztof Majchrzak
Danuta Kądzielowa
Henryk Majchrzak