Contributions of executive control abilities to perspective-taking in aphasia

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ability to adopt the perspective of others when speaking or listening is a key aspect of successful conversation. This ability relies on several cognitive operations such as lexical retrieval, working memory and inhibitory control, all of which can be impaired to various degrees in nonfluent aphasia. Because of this, difficulties in perspective-taking could be a serious problem in individuals with nonfluent aphasia, but it has not received much attention in the cognitive psychology literature. The goal of the current proposal is to shed light on the possible perspective-taking deficits in the production and comprehension of individuals with nonfluent aphasia through a systematic study of the cognitive architecture of perspective taking. The Specific Aims of this project are: 1. Defining the cognitiv architecture of perspective-taking, including the contributions of specific executive control processes 2. Determining whether perspective-taking can be improved by the application of anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (a-tDCS) The first set of experiments uses eye-tracking and behavioral methods to distinguish between several processes that contribute to perspective-taking, the impairment of which can cause failure of perspective- taking in different situations. The second set of experiments explores the possibility of improving perspective- taking by enhancing its underlying cognitive components through the application of a-tDCS, a safe and noninvasive procedure that has previously been shown to improve executive control abilities. The findings from these studies will promote our understanding of the cognitive architecture of perspective-taking and the nature of cognitive processes that jointly contribute to it, and will more broadly inform theories of language production and comprehension whose goal is to explain effective communication. Furthermore, the findings will shed light on the origins of perspective-taking deficits in aphasia, and as such contribute to the ultimate goal of aphasia research, which is enhancing communication abilities in this population. On the clinical side, the project raises awareness about a potentially significant problem in aphasic communication, and proposes ways to diagnose and potentially treat such problems using tasks and devices that are safe and easy to integrate in clinical practice. In summary, this project has the potential to improve communicative outcomes for individuals with nonfluent aphasia while at the same time contributing to the cognitive psychology literature on language production and comprehension.