A Large-Scale Comparison of Main Concept Production Between Persons with Aphasia and Persons Without Brain Injury

Authors

Sarah Grace Dalton, Marquette UniversityFollow
Jessica D. Richardson, University of New MexicoFollow

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Publication Date

3-2019

Publisher

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Source Publication

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology

Source ISSN

1058-0360

Abstract

Purpose: The purposes of this study are to provide clinicians and researchers with introductory psychometric data for the main concept analysis (MCA), a measure of discourse informativeness, and specifically, to provide descriptive and comparative statistical information about the performance of a large sample of persons not brain injured (PNBIs) and persons with aphasia (PWAs) on AphasiaBank discourse tasks.

Method: Transcripts of 5 semi-spontaneous discourse tasks were retrieved from the AphasiaBank database and scored according to detailed checklists and scoring procedures. Transcripts from 145 PNBIs and 238 PWAs were scored; descriptive statistics, median tests, and effect sizes are reported.

Results: PWAs demonstrated overall lower informativeness scores and more frequent production of statements that were inaccurate and/or incomplete. Differences between PNBIs and PWAs were observed for all main concept measures and stories. Comparisons of PNBIs and aphasia subtypes revealed significant differences for all groups, although the pattern of differences and strength of effect sizes varied by group and discourse task.

Conclusions: These results may improve the investigative and clinical utility of the MCA by providing descriptive and comparative information for PNBIs and PWAs for standardized discourse tasks that can be reliably scored. The results indicate that the MCA is sensitive to differences in discourse as a result of aphasia.

Comments

Accepted version. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Vol. 28, No. 1S (March 2019): 293-320. DOI. © 2019 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Used with permission.

Sarah Grace Hudspeth Dalton was affiliated with University of New Mexico, Albuquerque at the time of publication.

Recommended Citation

Dalton, Sarah Grace and Richardson, Jessica D., "A Large-Scale Comparison of Main Concept Production Between Persons with Aphasia and Persons Without Brain Injury" (2019). Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications. 49.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/spaud_fac/49