Nonverbal Cognitive Disturbances in Aphasia

Testing causal theories of pantomimic deficits in aphasia using path analysis

“…However, it should be appreciated that, in addition to Finklenburg's theory of asymbolia (Duffy and Liles 1979), there are other central, cognitive-deficit theories that are equally supported by Model 5. Deficits that have been proposed in other central processes are: Hughlings-Jackson's 'loss of the power to propositionize' (Head 1915, p. 114); Marie's 'diminution of intelligence' (Cole and Cole 1971, p. 54); Head's (1926, p. 210) impairment of 'symbolic formulation and expression'; Goldstein's (1948, p. 56) 'impairment of abstract attitude'; Bay's (1964) impairment in the 'differentiation' and 'actualization of concepts ';Critchley 's (1970, p. 236) disorder of the 'preverbitum'; Gainotti (1988) and Vignolo's (1989) semantic/conceptual disorganization. All of these central process theorists have cited the covariance of verbal and non-verbal (including pantomime) deficits in aphasia as supporting evidence for their views on the nature of aphasia.…”