Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College Graduate School, 2003. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-106).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Linguistics, Dec. 2002. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College Graduate School, Wheaton, IL, 2003. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-106).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 139-148).

It has been shown in previous studies that persons with aphasia (PWA) exhibit deficits in cognitive skills, despite the traditional definition of aphasia as an impairment specifically in language processing. This project provides an in-depth look into one of these cognitive processes: attention. This project views attention from a domain-general perspective and is particularly focused on looking at intra-individual variability (IIV) in attention over time. We begin by presenting a schema of attention and language in aphasia, followed by the results of two experiments that examine the effect of task demands on attention processing, including IIV in performance. The first experiment focuses on the effect of task demands on between-session IIV (BS-IIV) in attention, as well as on group differences between PWA and controls, using purely non-linguistic tasks. Results suggest that PWA exhibit overall higher degrees of BS-IIV in domain-general, attention than do controls. Results also suggest that increased task demands elicit increased BS-IIV in attention in PWA, but not in controls. The second experiment examines the effects of task demands on BS-IIV as well as on within-session IIV (WS-IIV) in attention, as well as group differences between PWA and controls, using both linguistic and non linguistic tasks. Results of this experiment suggest that PWA and controls exhibit similar levels of BS-IIV, but that PWA exhibit higher levels of WS-IIV than do controls. Additionally, both groups show an effect of task demands on both BS-IIV and WS-IIV, such that higher task demands elicit higher levels of both types of IIV. Results also suggest that levels of BS-IIV and WS-IIV may rise even further for PWA when language demands are added to a task. Together, the results of these experiments suggest that PWA experience higher degrees of IIV than controls, and that higher task demands, including the addition of language tasks, increase PWA levels of IIV even more. These findings may have important implications for understanding attention during language therapy, as therapy sessions involve complex demands and require consistent attention over time. Future research should directly examine the relationship between IIV in attention and treatment outcomes in PWA.

The objectives of this study were to examine if pre-stroke proficiency predicts post-stroke lexical semantic performance in Spanish-English bilingual persons with aphasia (PWA) and identify patterns of impairment in this population. A language use questionnaire was administered to 27 Spanish-English bilingual PWA to measure pre-stroke proficiency in both languages. Standardized language assessments in Spanish and English were administered to measure post-stroke lexical semantic performance in both languages. A principal component analysis was conducted on the language use questionnaire measures, revealing Daily Usage, Education, Exposure, and Language Ability Rating as factors that contribute to a person’s proficiency in their first language (L1), and Age of Acquisition, Daily Usage, Family Proficiency, Education, Exposure, Confidence and Language Ability Rating as factors that contribute to a person’s proficiency in their second language (L2). Regression analyses revealed that pre-stroke proficiency significantly predicted post-stroke lexical semantic performance, most strongly in English than in Spanish. Two distinct patterns of impairment emerged within the participants: parallel impairment and differential impairment. Overall, these results confirm that pre-stroke language proficiency is a key determiner of performance on standardized language assessments post-stroke, such that the higher proficiency pre-stroke, the higher performance on standardized tests post stroke. This pattern was more clear when English was L1 or L2 relative to when Spanish was L1 or L2. These results have important implications for assessment and diagnosis of aphasia in bilingual individuals particularly when clinicians need to select the language of assessment.

Orientador: Edwiges Maria Morato / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-10T14:58:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Donzeli_CamilaPolon_M.pdf: 879465 bytes, checksum: 0b6fe17e1906f4729523118f748a7896 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Este estudo explora precisamente aspectos lingüístico-pragmáticos da manipulação enunciativa de piadas, assinalando sua importância para os estudos neurolingüísticos, em especial aqueles que se encontram ancorados numa perspectiva interacionista ou sócio-cognitiva dessa relação. O que se propõe no presente estudo é aprofundar a consideração de que o problema da afasia não pode ser reduzido a uma questão lingüística (stricto sensu), nem a de que o componente ¿meta¿, importante para as ações reflexivas dos sujeitos, reduz-se à ordem cognitiva; por isso, a competência relativamente à linguagem (à qual se vinculam processos meta de várias ordens: lingüística, enunciativa, pragmática, discursiva) não estaria necessariamente destruída nas afasias. Neste trabalho foram analisados dados lingüísticos de 5 sujeitos não-afásicos (grupo controle) e 5 sujeitos afásicos que freqüentam o Centro de Convivência de Afásicos (CCA), que é situado no Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem da UNICAMP. Através de entrevistas individuais, foi solicitado aos sujeitos que, após ouvir as piadas, explicassem ou comentassem seus efeitos de humor. Para a coleta de dados, elaborou-se um Protocolo de Estudos de Piadas com base na relevância de determinado nível lingüístico. Contudo, cumpre ressaltar que uma concepção enunciativa de língua pressupõe a mobilização de processos pragmáticos, contextuais, discursivos. Nesse sentido, ainda que determinados mecanismos léxico-sintático-semânticos fiquem em evidência, todo enunciado chistoso é da natureza dos fenômenos pragmáticos, intersubjetivos, sócio-culturais. A partir da aplicação do Protocolo, observou-se a presença de processos meta relativamente à linguagem (lingüísticos, enunciativos, pragmáticos, discursivos), pois os sujeitos, na interpretação e manipulação das piadas, questionaram e reformularam o texto original, ou seja, produziram comentários, reformulações, recontagens, inserções (pedido de esclarecimentos ou exemplificações), paráfrases; além de terem reconhecido pré-construídos, pressupostos e/ou implícitos culturais envolvidos nas piadas, realizaram ajustes enunciativos sobre os sentidos veiculados, leis conversacionais e regras de etiqueta. Relevante, também, para análise dos dados foi observar diferentes aspectos do ponto de vista da construção e mesmo da explicitação do sentido: a interpretação; a explicação; os marcadores conversacionais; a presença de processos semiológicos co-ocorrentes, como o contexto, o gesto, a melodia etc.; e o riso. Tendo em vista os dados obtidos na pesquisa, ressalta-se que as piadas se constituem, bem como outros fenômenos de ordem meta-enunciativa, em um interessante expediente para a análise da competência pragmático-textual dos sujeitos para produzir e interpretar linguagem. Observou-se essa competência através de manobras lingüísticas e sócio-cognitivas realizadas pelos sujeitos na busca ou na mobilização lingüístico-cognitiva da significação, do conhecimento enciclopédico, da memória cultural e discursiva, de um savoir-faire específico. Com isso, entende-se essa competência como uma espécie de conhecimento sócio-cognitivo dos objetos e estados de coisa no mundo que se constitui e se revela enunciativamente no decorrer das ações dos sujeitos / Abstract: This study explores linguistic-pragmatic aspects of the enunciative manipulation of jokes, designating its importance for the neurolinguistics studies, in special those that were find anchored in an interacionist perspective. What is consider in the present study is to deepen the consideration that the problem of the aphasia cannot be reduced to a linguistic question (stricto sensu), nor of that the component ¿meta¿, important for the reflexives actions of the individuals, reduce to the cognitive order; therefore, the competence relatively to the language (which is connect to ¿meta¿ processes of some orders: linguistics, enunciative, pragmatic, discursive) necessarily would not be destroyed in the aphasias. In this work it had been analyzed linguistic data of 5 not-aphasics individuals (control group) and 5 aphasics individuals that frequent the ¿Centro de Convivência de Afásicos¿ (CCA), that is situated in the Institute of Studies of the Language (IEL/UNICAMP), by individual interviews. The proposal presented was that after hearing the joke, the individuals were requested to explained or commented the jokes. For the collection of data, a Protocol of Studies of Jokes was elaborated on the basis of the relevance of determined linguistic level. However, it fulfills to stand out that an enunciative conception of language estimates the mobilization of pragmatic processes, contextual, discursives. In this direction, despite lexic-syntactic-semantic mechanisms are in evidences, all jokes are a pragmatic, intersubjetive, sociocultural phenomena. From the application of the Protocol, it was observed the presence of ¿meta¿ processes relatively to the language (linguistic, enunciative, pragmatic, discursives), therefore the individuals, in the interpretation and manipulation of the jokes, had questioned and reformulated the original text, that is, had produced commentaries, reformularizations, recount, insertions (asked for of clarifications or exemplifications), paraphrase; beyond having recognized pre-constructed and/or implicit cultural involved in the jokes, carrying through enunciative adjustments about conversational laws and label rules. Also relevant, for data analysis it was to observe different aspects of the construction and explicitation of the sense: the interpretation, the explanation; the conversational markers; the presence of co-ocorrentes semiologics processes (as the context, the gesture, the melody) and the laugh. With the data in the research, it was observe that the jokes are constitute, as well as other phenomena of meta-enunciative order, in an interesting expedient for the analysis of the pragmatic-textual competence of the individuals to produce and to interpret language. This competence through linguistic and socio-cognitives abilities carried through by the individuals in the search or in the linguistic-cognitive mobilization of the signification, the enciclopedic knowledge, the cultural and discursive memory, one specific savoir-faire. With this, the competence is understand as a socio-cognitive knowledge of objects and states of thing in the world that it constitutes and it reveals enunciatively in elapsing of the individuals actions / Mestrado / Linguistica / Mestre em Linguística

Orientador: Maria Irma Hadler Coudry / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-10T20:52:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ishara_Cinthia_D.pdf: 1021793 bytes, checksum: 8f3e1988e7abe89b6075dc6c36d2e2f1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Este trabalho apresenta o estudo de caso de um sujeito afásico (CN). Através de seu acompanhamento longitudinal, realizado com base em uma abordagem discursiva da afasia, buscou-se compreender as características de sua afasia, discutindo as classificações propostas na literatura e a relação entre sua caracterização e o processo terapêutico. Esta tese destaca as características singulares de um caso que se recusa a encaixar-se nas tipologias existentes, evidenciando a heterogeneidade do fenômeno afásico e as contribuições de um processo terapêutico que não exclui o sujeito. Os dados mostram as relações entre os níveis lingüísticos e apontam que os gestos articulatórios não caminham dissociados de outros aspectos da linguagem em seu funcionamento. O esforço para conter cadeias de associações fônicas e a constante re-instauração da cena enunciativa na produção de seus enunciados se destacam enquanto características do funcionamento da afasia de CN. O processo terapêutico mostra que não se trata de ensinar ou treinar os aspectos alterados pela afasia. O processo com CN ensina que a opção por uma teoria de linguagem que inclua o sujeito, ao invés de uma teorização voltada apenas para o sintoma e para o que falta em sua fala, se mostra decisiva para promover e explicar as mudanças que CN faz durante o período do acompanhamento / Abstract: This thesis presents a case study of an aphasic person (CN). We longitudinally examine the performance of CN in different situations. The study adopts the aphasia¿s discursive approach (Coudry, 1986/88). We try to understand changes in CN¿s language functioning and the characteristics of CN¿s aphasia. The CN¿s aphasia presentation differs from typical aphasias described in traditional typologies. CN¿s language exhibits unique characteristics that lead us to consider the heterogeneity in aphasia and the advantages of a therapeutic process based on a specific view about the relationship between language and subject. Our findings support the relationship between linguistic levels and the relation between articulatory gestures and other language aspects. The effort to limit phonic associations and to build the enunciative scene is frequent and constitutes a typical aspects that demonstrates how language works in this case. The improvements in CN¿s language functioning from our initial evaluation provides support for the language¿s view that includes the subject in its scope and the therapeutic process that is not limited to following training programs or educational treatments / Doutorado / Doutor em Linguística

Orientador: Marilisa Mantovani Guerreiro / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T07:46:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Duran_MarcosHenriqueCoelho_M.pdf: 1539945 bytes, checksum: 0b921a2ebbf75d5589e891134344723b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Objetivos: A Síndrome de Landau-Kleffner (SLK) é uma entidade rara, caracterizada por epilepsia e afasia. Ocorre em crianças com aquisição normal da linguagem, geralmente, entre 3 e 7 anos de idade. A evolução a longo prazo é controversa e pouco estudada. O presente estudo tem como objetivo verificar a evolução em uma série de sujeitos com diagnóstico de SLK, enfocando os aspectos clínicos, eletrencefalográficos, psicossociais e da qualidade de vida. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal. Entre novembro de 2006 e abril de 2007 foram entrevistados sete pacientes, todos do sexo masculino com idade variando entre oito e 27 anos. Todos os pacientes apresentaram afasia/agnosia auditiva verbal no início do quadro e apenas um paciente não apresentou crises epilépticas durante a evolução da SLK. Todos os pacientes apresentaram descargas epileptiformes interictais no início da SLK e dois pacientes apresentaram estado de mal elétrico do sono. Os pacientes e/ou pais foram entrevistados através de um questionário estruturado. Foram aplicados em todos os pacientes a Escala de Comportamento Adaptativo Vineland, a Escala de Conners para pais na versão longa revisada e o questionário a respeito de sua qualidade de vida (SF 36, ). Foi realizado em cada paciente eletrencefalograma interictal em vigília e sono prolongado. Resultados: O presente estudo revelou que dois pacientes continuavam a apresentar crises epilépticas. Um paciente apresentou remissão total da afasia/agnosia auditiva verbal e três pacientes apresentaram remissão parcial da afasia/agnosia auditiva, ao passo que três pacientes mantiveram a afasia/agnosia auditiva verbal. Quanto a qualidade de vida, apenas um paciente não apresentava limitações dentre os pacientes da presente série. Os demais pacientes apresentaram alguma limitação de sua qualidade de vida, sendo a afasia/agnosia auditiva verbal o principal fator limitante no curso da SLK. Cinco pacientes apresentaram eletrencefalograma normal. Conclusões: O presente estudo revelou que a epilepsia e as alterações eletrencefalográficas tendem a desaparecer enquanto que a afasia/agnosia auditiva verbal tende a persistir na maioria dos pacientes. A idade de início não está correlacionada com o prognóstico. Os pacientes com SLK apresentam uma qualidade de vida comprometida, principalmente devido a afasia/agnosia auditiva verbal / Abstract: Purpose: Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS) is a rare entity characterized by epilepsy and aphasia. It occurs in previously normal children, usually between 3 and 7 years of age. The long-term outcome of the LKS is not completely clear. The aim of this study is to verify the long-term follow-up of a group of patients with LKS, focusing on clinical aspects, EEG, and quality of life. Methods: This was a transversal study. Between November 2006 and April 2007 seven patients with LKS were interviewed. They were seven males and were between eight and 27 years old. At onset, all patients had aphasia and verbal auditory agnosia and only one never had seizures. At onset, all patients had interictal epileptiform discharges, and two of them presented with ESES. Parents and/or patients were interviewed by one of the authors according to a structured questionnaire. The Vineland Adaptive Scales, the Conner¿s Rating Scales Revised and Short-Form Health Survey (SF 36) were used. Each patient had a prolonged interictal electroencephalographic recording. Results: The present investigation revealed that two patients still have seizures. One patient had total and three others had partial remission of language disturbance, while three patients still have aphasia and verbal auditory agnosia. Concerning quality of life, only one of our patients has a normal life nowadays. All six patients with some sort of limitation refer that aphasia/agnosia is the main difficulty of their lives. Five patients have normal EEG. Conclusions: The long-term follow-up of patients with LKS show that epilepsy and EEG abnormalities tend to disappear while language disturbance tend to persist in most of them. Age of onset does not correlate with the prognosis. Patients with LKS have an overall poor quality of life mostly due to language difficulties / Mestrado / Neurologia / Mestre em Ciências Médicas

Apraxia of speech (AOS) is a motor speech disorder that poses significant obstacles to a person's ability to communicate and take part in everyday life. Agreement exists between current theories of AOS that the impairment affects the speech motor planning stage, where linguistic representations are transformed into speech movements, but they disagree on the specific nature of the breakdown at this processing level. A more detailed understanding of this impairment is essential for developing targeted, effective treatment approaches and for identifying the appropriate candidates for these treatments. The study of AOS is complicated by the fact that this disorder rarely occurs in isolation but is commonly accompanied by various degrees of aphasia (a language impairment) and/or dysarthria (a neuromuscular impairment of speech motor control). In addition, the behavioral similarities of AOS and its closest clinical neighbor, aphasia with phonemic paraphasias, undermine the usefulness of traditional methods, such as perceptual error analysis, in the study of both disorders. The purpose of this dissertation was to test three competing hypotheses about the specific nature of the speech motor planning impairment in AOS in a systematic sequence of three reaction time experiments. This research was formulated in the context of a well-established theoretical framework of speech production and it combines psycholinguistic reaction time paradigms with a cognitive neuropsychological approach. The results of the three experiments provide evidence that one component of the speech motor planning impairment in AOS involves difficulty with selecting the intended motor program for articulation. Furthermore, this difficulty appears to be intensified by simultaneously activated alternative speech motor programs that compete with the target program for selection. These findings may prove useful as a theoretically-motivated basis for improving diagnostic tools and treatment protocols for people with AOS and aphasia, thus enhancing clinical decision-making. Such translational and clinical research aimed at developing sensitive and specific diagnostic tools and improving treatment approaches is the ultimate long-term objective of this research program.