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DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-3400990
Moving Toward Non-transcription based Discourse Analysis in Stable and Progressive Aphasia
Funding S.G.H.D. receives salary from Marquette University. She has no other disclosures.H.I.H receives salary from the University of Kentucky. She has no other disclosures.
J.D.R. receives salary from the University of New Mexico and grant support through an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under grant number P20GM109089. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Research Committee at the Triangle Aphasia Project.
Publication History
Publication Date:
23 December 2019 (online)
Abstract
Measurement of communication ability at the discourse level holds promise for predicting how well persons with stable (e.g., stroke-induced), or progressive aphasia navigate everyday communicative interactions. However, barriers to the clinical utilization of discourse measures have persisted. Recent advancements in the standardization of elicitation protocols and the existence of large databases for development of normative references have begun to address some of these barriers. Still, time remains a consistently reported barrier by clinicians. Non-transcription based discourse measurement would reduce the time required for discourse analysis, making clinical utilization a reality. The purpose of this article is to present evidence regarding discourse measures (main concept analysis, core lexicon, and derived efficiency scores) that are well suited to non-transcription based analysis. Combined with previous research, our results suggest that these measures are sensitive to changes following stroke or neurodegenerative disease. Given the evidence, further research specifically assessing the reliability of these measures in clinical implementation is warranted.