Search Abstracts | Symposia | Slide Sessions | Poster Sessions
A novel treatment approach for word retrieval deficits in connected speech in aphasia: Integrating working memory and retrieval practice
Poster Session B, Friday, September 12, 4:30 - 6:00 pm, Field House
This poster is part of the Sandbox Series.
Yingxue Tian1, Marja-Liisa Mailend1,2, Erica Middleton1; 1Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, PA, USA, 2University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
Word retrieval deficit – difficulty retrieving words from meaning – is a common and persistent deficit in chronic aphasia that often hinders effective communication in daily life. It can manifest as producing an incorrect word (e.g., saying “orange” for “apple”) or failing to produce any word at all. These difficulties extend beyond single-word tasks and are often more pronounced in connected speech, such as sentences and discourse, likely due to increased task demands and the working memory (WM) required to retrieve and maintain multiple words for production (Schwartz & Hodgson, 2002; Slevc, 2011). Word retrieval deficits in connected speech are likely multi-determined, arising from impairments in single-word retrieval and/or WM. Treatment for word retrieval deficit in confrontation naming tasks is a well-studied topic. Retrieval practice (RP) is a robust learning principle that involves actively retrieving information from long-term memory to strengthen future recall of that information. When applied to naming treatment, retrieval practice (RP) involves naming attempts and has been shown to significantly enhance word retrieval in confrontation naming tasks (Middleton et al., 2019; Middleton et al., 2015; Middleton et al., 2016; Schuchard & Middleton, 2018a, 2018b). However, naming treatment’s generalization to connected speech has been inconsistent and remains understudied (Boyle & Coelho, 1995; Coelho et al., 2000; Conroy et al., 2009). One possible reason for the limited transfer is that most naming treatments do not target the additional WM demands required for connected speech. Some prior studies using cross-domain treatment series that include both WM and anomia treatments have shown promise in improving word retrieval (Hashimoto, 2023; Martin et al., 2006; Simic et al., 2022). However, these studies often do not isolate the specific mechanisms driving improvement and primarily assess outcomes at the single-word level, with limited focus on connected speech. Rather than treating each component separately, the present study uses a multiple-case, within-subject design to investigate whether a novel training approach – integrating WM into the well-established RP-based naming treatment – can improve word retrieval in connected speech in aphasia. This combined training approach is designed to (1) increase cognitive demands during RP training to enhance its effectiveness and promote generalization to connected speech, and (2) improve the ability to retrieve and maintain multiple words for production. Treatment effects will be evaluated across linguistic levels, including content word retrieval in sentence production, single-word naming, and discourse informativeness and efficiency.
Topic Areas: Language Production, Disorders: Acquired