Modulating Complex Sentence Processing in Aphasia Through Attention and Semantic Networks.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Modulating Complex Sentence Processing in Aphasia Through Attention and Semantic Networks.
Authors:	Baker, Carolyn¹, Love, Tracy² tlove@sdsu.edu
Source:	Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research. Dec2023, Vol. 66 Issue 12, p5011-5035. 25p.
Subject Terms:	Memory, Phonological awareness, Self-evaluation, Speech evaluation, Aphasia, Attention, Data analysis, Language disorders, Statistics, Semantics, Stroke, Saccadic eye movements, Paradigms (Social sciences), Semantic Web, Research funding, Descriptive statistics, Scale analysis (Psychology), Probability theory, Prompts (Psychology)
Abstract:	Purpose: Lexical processing impairments such as delayed and reduced activation of lexical-semantic information have been linked to syntactic processing disruptions and sentence comprehension deficits in individuals with aphasia (IWAs). Lexical-level deficits can also preclude successful lexical encoding during sentence processing and amplify the processing costs of similarity-based interference during syntactic retrieval. We investigate whether two manipulations to engage attention and pre-activate semantic features of a target (to-be-retrieved) noun will (a) boost lexical activation during initial lexical encoding and (b) facilitate syntactic dependency linking through improved resolution of interference in IWAs and neurologically unimpaired age-matched controls (AMCs). Method: Eye-tracking-while-listening with a visual world paradigm was used to investigate whether semantic and attentional manipulations modulated initial lexical processing and downstream syntactic retrieval of the direct-object noun in object-relative sentences. Results: In the attention and semantic manipulations, the AMC group showed no changes in initial lexical access levels; however, gaze patterns revealed clear facilitations in dependency linking and interference resolution. In the IWA group, the attentional cue increased and maintained activation of N1 with modest facilitations in dependency linking. In the semantic condition, IWA results showed a greater degree of facilitation during dependency linking. Conclusions: The results suggest that attention and semantic activation are parameters that may be manipulated to strengthen encoding of lexical representations to facilitate retrieval (i.e., dependency linking) and mitigate similaritybased interference. In IWAs, these manipulations may help to reduce lexical processing deficits that can preclude successful encoding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	Purpose: Lexical processing impairments such as delayed and reduced activation of lexical-semantic information have been linked to syntactic processing disruptions and sentence comprehension deficits in individuals with aphasia (IWAs). Lexical-level deficits can also preclude successful lexical encoding during sentence processing and amplify the processing costs of similarity-based interference during syntactic retrieval. We investigate whether two manipulations to engage attention and pre-activate semantic features of a target (to-be-retrieved) noun will (a) boost lexical activation during initial lexical encoding and (b) facilitate syntactic dependency linking through improved resolution of interference in IWAs and neurologically unimpaired age-matched controls (AMCs). Method: Eye-tracking-while-listening with a visual world paradigm was used to investigate whether semantic and attentional manipulations modulated initial lexical processing and downstream syntactic retrieval of the direct-object noun in object-relative sentences. Results: In the attention and semantic manipulations, the AMC group showed no changes in initial lexical access levels; however, gaze patterns revealed clear facilitations in dependency linking and interference resolution. In the IWA group, the attentional cue increased and maintained activation of N1 with modest facilitations in dependency linking. In the semantic condition, IWA results showed a greater degree of facilitation during dependency linking. Conclusions: The results suggest that attention and semantic activation are parameters that may be manipulated to strengthen encoding of lexical representations to facilitate retrieval (i.e., dependency linking) and mitigate similaritybased interference. In IWAs, these manipulations may help to reduce lexical processing deficits that can preclude successful encoding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	10924388
DOI:	10.1044/2023_JSLHR-23-00298