Relationship between distinctive feature knowledge and word retrieval abilities in people with aphasia

Wallace, Sarah E.; Mason-Baughman, Mary Beth

doi:10.1080/02687038.2012.702886

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Distinctive features may have a more ‘privileged’ relationship with concepts than do shared features, in that they tend to be more exclusively associated with the concept being evaluated, hence requiring less semantic sifting through numerous other concepts to confirm the relationship (e.g., Tyler et al, 2000). An implication of this regarding the responsivity of PWA to semantic feature cues is that distinctive features may provide more support in selecting the appropriate, specific label during semantically-guided lexical retrieval (Wallace & Mason-Baughman, 2012; Mason-Baughman & Wallace, 2013). The current data provide additional support for the notion that semantic feature-based treatments may best be geared toward reinforcement of PWAs’ responsivity to distinctive (versus shared) feature training.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The current data provide additional support for the notion that semantic feature-based treatments may best be geared toward reinforcement of PWAs’ responsivity to distinctive (versus shared) feature training. Distinctive features may provide better support for lexical activation (Boyle, 2004; Kiran, 2007; Wallace & Mason-Baughman, 2012; Mason-Baughman & Wallace, 2013), potentially allowing SFA protocols to be streamlined toward a smaller, more select pool of feature cues (e.g., Hashimoto & Frome, 2011). In addition, with respect to the proposal that SFA may have the secondary goal of increasing effectiveness of communication even when specific lexical retrieval fails (Antonucci, 2009; Falconer & Antonucci, 2012), reinforcing PWA to provide more distinctive feature information may provide more explicit information to communication partners.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This may, in part, be due to the fact that the preponderance of evidence suggests that those with stroke-aphasia do not tend to exhibit the more severe loss of conceptual knowledge demonstrated within other neuropsychological populations (Jeffries and Lambon-Ralph, 2006). However, a recently growing body of evidence suggests there may be subtle semantic feature processing differences contributing to deficient semantically-guided lexical retrieval in individuals with stroke-aphasia (e.g., Antonucci, Beeson, Labiner, & Rapcsak, 2008; Mason-Baughman & Wallace, 2013; Wallace & Mason-Baughman, 2012). Understanding how these differences manifest and influence concept name retrieval in these individuals is particularly important considering the preponderance of word retrieval treatments that are predicated on processing of semantic information (Boyle, 2010; Kiran, 2007).…”

Section: Feature-based Theories Of Disproportionate Impairments To LImentioning

confidence: 99%

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What matters in semantic feature processing for persons with stroke-aphasia: Evidence from an auditory concept–feature verification task

Antonucci

2014

Aphasiology

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Background The relationship between object concept domains (living vs. nonliving) and their underlying feature structures is a frequent area of investigation regarding semantic processing in healthy individuals and some individuals with neuropsychological impairment resulting from herpes simplex encephalitis, semantic dementia and Alzheimer's disease. However, this relationship has been less well-investigated in persons with stroke-aphasia (PWA), even though many treatments for anomia following stroke are predicated on the use of semantic feature cues. Aims As part of a larger investigation into the influence of semantic feature processing on naming for PWA, this study examined the ability of PWA to confirm the relations between object concepts and associated semantic features. Methods & Procedures 15 native English-speaking, right handed individuals with post-stroke-aphasia responded yes or no via button press to feature-verification questions designed to probe the relationships between concept domain and feature type and distinctiveness. Outcomes & Results PWA were more accurate and quicker to confirm concept-feature relationships when features contained function/action, rather than visual-perceptual, information about concepts and when features were distinctive to concepts rather than shared. The truthfulness (i.e., veracity) of concept-feature pairings was demonstrated to differentially affect living versus nonliving concepts. Within domain, only nonliving concepts were verified more accurately and more quickly when pairings were true (rather than false). Between domains, true nonliving concept-feature pairings were more accurately and more quickly verified than true living concept-feature pairings. Also with respect to veracity, correlations were observed between aphasia severity and accuracy and speed of response to false concept-feature pairings. Conclusions Findings have implications for the way in which semantic processing is probed with PWA, as well as providing preliminary information regarding responsivity of PWA to differing types of semantic information for living versus nonliving concepts. The fact that PWA demonstrated disproportionate difficulty responding to certain types of semantic information also suggests preliminary implications for the utility of different types of semantic cues in semantically-based treatments for word retrieval impairment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Feature-based Theories Of Disproportionate Impairments To LImentioning

confidence: 99%

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What matters in semantic feature processing for persons with stroke-aphasia: Evidence from an auditory concept–feature verification task

Antonucci

2014

Aphasiology

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“…First, the results taken together with findings from other research (Wallace & Mason-Baughman, 2012) may be used to develop treatment studies examining the effects of including LID features in semantic feature treatments. Many potential variations of related interventions may be investigated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The replication of these results indicates multiple areas of future research including the development of intervention strategies for semantic deficits associated with neurogenic communication disorders. First, the results taken together with findings from other research (Wallace & Mason-Baughman, 2012) may be used to develop treatment studies examining the effects of including LID features in semantic feature treatments. Many potential variations of related interventions may be investigated.…”

Section: Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Importance and Distinctiveness of Semantic Features in People With Aphasia

Mason-Baughman

Wallace

2014

Communication Disorders Quarterly

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Previous studies suggest that people with aphasia have incomplete lexical-semantic representations with decreased low-importance distinctive (LID) feature knowledge. In addition, decreased LID feature knowledge correlates with ability to discriminate among semantically related words. The current study seeks to replicate and extend previous research that identified patterns of feature knowledge in people with aphasia. Ten adults with aphasia sorted high-, mid-, and low-importance common and distinctive features. Participants formed two groups based on accurate discrimination of semantically related foils. ANOVA results showed significant main effects for feature importance, feature distinctiveness, and group. Participants with difficulty discriminating among related foils had greater difficulty with the identification of LID features as compared with the other group. Previous findings were replicated demonstrating impaired LID feature knowledge in people with aphasia. Careful examination of semantic feature knowledge is needed to enhance the design of future semantic feature treatments.

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Verbal Description of Concrete Objects: A Method for Assessing Semantic Circumlocution in Persons With Aphasia

Antonucci

MacWilliam

2015

Am J Speech Lang Pathol

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Purpose: We investigated from a theoretically motivated perspective what information differentiated sufficient from insufficient descriptions of objects provided by persons with aphasia. Method: Twenty-one adults with aphasia consequent to single left-hemisphere stroke verbally described 9 living and 9 nonliving objects. Responses were scored for accuracy (i.e., sufficiency) and tallied for type and quantity of semantic feature information provided. Main effects and interactions were identified using repeated measures analyses of variance, with significant findings followed up with planned comparisons. Results: Differences between correct and incorrect descriptions were identified with respect to both feature type and feature distinctiveness for living and nonliving items, in particular highlighting the importance of distinctive features in descriptions of both domains. Conclusions: These findings add to the relatively small body of literature investigating semantic feature processing in adults with aphasia. This is a critical gap to close when considered in light of the preponderance of semantically based treatments for word-retrieval impairment in strokeaphasia. Our findings provide preliminary support for the notion that semantically guided treatments for word-retrieval impairment in stroke-aphasia may be geared toward increasing specificity of semantic circumlocution to increase semantic self-cueing and to improve communication of information to conversation partners.

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Relationship between distinctive feature knowledge and word retrieval abilities in people with aphasia

Cited by 5 publications

References 15 publications

What matters in semantic feature processing for persons with stroke-aphasia: Evidence from an auditory concept–feature verification task

What matters in semantic feature processing for persons with stroke-aphasia: Evidence from an auditory concept–feature verification task

Role of Importance and Distinctiveness of Semantic Features in People With Aphasia

Verbal Description of Concrete Objects: A Method for Assessing Semantic Circumlocution in Persons With Aphasia

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