Communicative-pragmatic disorders in traumatic brain injury: The role of theory of mind and executive functions

Abstract

Previous research has shown that communicative-pragmatic ability, as well as executive functions (EF) and Theory of Mind (ToM), may be impaired in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the role of such cognitive deficits in explaining communicative-pragmatic difficulty in TBI has still not been fully investigated. The study examined the relationship between EF (working memory, planning and flexibility) and ToM and communicative-pragmatic impairment in patients with TBI. 30 individuals with TBI and 30 healthy controls were assessed using the Assessment Battery of Communication (ABaCo), and a set of cognitive, EF and ToM, tasks. The results showed that TBI participants performed poorly in comprehension and production tasks in the ABaCo, using both linguistic and extralinguistic means of expression, and that they were impaired in EF and ToM abilities. Cognitive difficulties were able to predict the pragmatic performance of TBI individuals, with both executive functions and ToM contributing to explaining patients' scores on the ABaCo.

Pragmatic competence and its relationship with the linguistic and cognitive profile of young adults with dyslexia

“…A possible explanation for this discrepancy might be that the link between pragmatics and Theory of Mind is stronger in development, whereas in adulthood, the two domains are to some extent independent from one another. Our findings also point to a pattern that differs from adult clinical populations, such as for instance multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and schizophrenia, where the relationship between deficits in pragmatics, Theory of Mind, and executive functions is much stronger (Bambini, Arcara, Martinelli, et al, 2016;Bosco et al, 2017;Carotenuto et al, 2018;Parola, Berardinelli, & Bosco, 2018). This might be due to specific aspects differentiating dyslexia from schizophrenia and other clinical populations, as well as to differences in age and education, because our sample included university students.…”

“…As in Griffiths (2007), participants were also administered a series of standardized tests to assess verbal and non-verbal cognitive abilities. Based on other evidence from children with dyslexia (Cardillo et al, 2017) and other pathological conditions (Bambini, Arcara, Bechi, et al, 2016;Bosco et al, 2017), assessment included executive functions and social cognition tests. Data were analysed with the aim of (a) understanding whether pragmatic competence is compromised in dyslexia and (b) exploring associations between pragmatic performance and other cognitive domains.…”

“…Nonliteral meaning comprehension is proved to be a challenge for nontypically developing children, as well as for neurological and psychiatric patients (Kalandadze, Norbury, Naerland, & Naess, 2016;Thoma & Daum, 2006). Across populations, difficulties with nonliteral meanings and figurative language are often associated with impairment in executive functions and with poor performance in Theory of Mind tests, which assess the ability to attribute attitudes and mental states (including communicative intentions) and to predict the behaviour of others (Bambini, Arcara, Bechi, et al, 2016;Bambini, Arcara, Martinelli, et al, 2016;Bosco, Parola, Sacco, Zettin, & Angeleri, 2017;Martin & McDonald, 2003;Wampers, Schrauwen, De Hert, Gielen, & Schaeken, 2017).…”

Prefrontal Cortex: Role in Language Communication during Social Interaction

“…Individuals with the traumatic brain injury (TBI) suffer from a general difficulty in managing social communication in everyday life, for example, they display poor ability to negotiate efficient request [31] or at giving right amount of information to the interlocutor [32], conversational problems including turn taking [33], and narrative disorders [34]. In a study on the communicative ability in TBI individuals [35], 30 patients with traumatic brain injury and 30 healthy individuals were tested on executive function, theory of mind, and communicative-pragmatic functions using the Assessment Battery of Communication (ABaCo). Among all TBI patients, 25 suffered from focal damage in the frontal regions (among whom 15 were lesioned in the right frontal, 6 in the left frontal, and 6 in bilateral frontal or frontal-diffuse areas).…”

The role of pragmatics in cross-cultural

“…(4) John: Who gave the waiter a large tip? Bosco, Parola, Sacco, Zettin & Angeleri (2017), the context of general knowledge includes a number of background assumptions that are shared between speakers and speakers. For example, the speech (5) and (6) below which are pragmatically assessed are good and anomalous.…”