RELATION BETWEEN ATTENTION AND LANGUAGE IN APHASIA

Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington IN

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Abstract

The proposed research consists of two projects designed to examine the relation between attention and language in adults with aphasia. The working hypothesis is that aphasic adults present with deficits of attentional capacity and allocation, and that these deficits negatively interact with their comprehension and production of spoken language. The purpose of Project 1 is to determine the effects of varying attentional demands (e.g., focused attention vs. divided attention conditions) on the auditory comprehension and spoken language skills of aphasic adults, and to compare these effects to those observed in the performances of adults with no brain-damage. Subjects presenting with a variety of aphasia types and severities will participate to investigate the relation between different language profiles and attentional abilities. The purpose of Project 2 is to delineate the nature of attentional deficits in aphasia; that is, to determine whether impairments of attentional capacity, its allocation, or both underlie the attention deficits of adults with aphasia. On a theoretical basis, the findings from the proposed research will inform models of aphasia, attention, and language. Clinically, this research will contribute to more timely and effective assessment and treatment of aphasia by identifying language symptoms which are more likely to reflect underlying attention as oposed to purely linguistic deficits.