LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 16:8 August 2016
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
         Renuga Devi, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Word Association Ability in
Persons with Aphasia and Dementia

Ms. Preethi T Thomas
Dr. S. P. Goswami

Abstract

Introduction

Word association is a linguistic ability which occurs as a result of neural links between several concepts. These concepts could be semantic i.e. paradigmatic or syntactic i.e. syntagmatic in nature. These associations are intact and faster in neuro-typical individuals. Several studies have reported deficits in this association ability in brain-damage individuals. Thus the present study focuses on comparing the word association ability in persons with dementia and aphasia.

Material & Methods

26 persons with aphasia (PWA) and 29 persons with dementia (PWD) were considered as the clinical groups for the study. The control groups included 98 neuro-typical participants who were age matched to the clinical groups. The participants were grouped according to severity and type of disorder. A set of ten paradigmatic and syntagmatic stimuli each were presented to the participants and there were instructed to complete the task appropriately. Cues were provided in a hierarchy and the responses were appropriately scored. The data was then statistically treated.

Results

The results of the study revealed that the word association scores are reduced in individuals with aphasia and dementia when compared to the neuro-typical participants. The paradigmatic responses were significantly more affected than the syntagmatic associations in persons with dementia and aphasia. The findings of the study support the assumptions that the paradigmatic associations tend to be damaged earlier to the syntactic associations.

Conclusion

Word association ability proves to be a behavioural assessment measure to detect the linguistic impairments in persons with brain damage. The variations in syntagmatic and paradigmatic responses in PWA and PWD are of clinical importance in future research studies.

Keywords: Word association, Paradigmatic, Syntagmatic, Aphasia, Dementia, behavioural measure

INTRODUCTION

Words and its appropriate associations are essential for a human communication. It is this association of words which attribute to the meaning of a sentence and exchange of information. Human language is so unique to produce an infinite number of combinations of the same word elements differently and produce meaningful sentences. It is the interrelation between the components of language and cognition which aids in these appropriate associations of words (Muma, 1978). Language components in a sentence include the content i.e. meanings, words or semantics; form i.e. system of rules for combination of sounds and grammar and use (i.e. appropriate link of content and form in a social setting (Bloom & Lahey, 1978; Wiig, Becker, & Semel, 1984). These linguistic components are processed cognitively which involves the transformation of the sensory stimuli, elaboration of the inputs, neural storage or data, recovery and use of these data appropriately (Neisser, 1967). The cognitive system includes the semantic memory which is the core base of the linguistic and cognitive output in the human communication. Throughout the language development period from childhood all these cognitive and linguistic processes develop, and the associations are linked and stored as data for future use.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Ms. Preethi T Thomas
M.Sc. Speech Language Pathology
Speech Language Pathologist- Grade-1
Department of Clinical Services
All India Institute of Speech and Hearing
Manasagangothri
Mysore- 570006
Karnataka
India
preethit.thomas@gmail.com

Dr. S. P. Goswami, Ph.D. (Speech and Hearing)
Professor, Speech Pathology
Department of Speech Language Pathology
All India Institute of Speech and Hearing
Manasagangothri
Mysore- 570006
Karnataka
India
goswami16@gmail.com
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