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The use and function of gestures in word-finding difficulties in aphasia
Background: Gestures are spontaneous hand and arm movements that are part of everyday communication. The roles of gestures in communication are disputed. Most agree that they augment the information conveyed in speech. More contentiously, some argue that they facilitate speech, particularly when word-finding difficulties (WFD) occur. Exploring gestures in aphasia may further illuminate their role.
Aims: This study explored the spontaneous use of gestures in the conversation of participants with aphasia (PWA) and neurologically healthy participants (NHP). It aimed to examine the facilitative role of gesture by determining whether gestures particularly accompanied WFD and whether those difficulties were resolved.
Methods & Procedures: Spontaneous conversation data were collected from 20 PWA and 21 NHP. Video samples were analysed for gesture production, speech production, and WFD. Analysis 1 examined whether the production of semantically rich gestures in these conversations was affected by whether the person had aphasia, and/or whether there were difficulties in the accompanying speech. Analysis 2 identified all WFD in the data and examined whether these were more likely to be resolved if accompanied by a gesture, again for both groups of participants.
Outcomes & Results: Semantically rich gestures were frequently employed by both groups of participants, but with no effect of group. There was an effect of the accompanying speech, with gestures occurring most commonly alongside resolved WFD. An interaction showed that this was particularly the case for PWA. NHP, on the other hand, employed semantically rich gestures most frequently alongside fluent speech. Analysis 2 showed that WFD were common in both groups of participants. Unsurprisingly, these were more likely to be resolved for NHP than PWA. For both groups, resolution was more likely if a WFD was accompanied by a gesture.
Conclusions: These findings shed light on the different functions of gesture within conversation. They highlight the importance of gesture during WFD, both in aphasic and neurologically healthy language, and suggest that gesture may facilitate word retrieval
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The role of semantically rich gestures in aphasic conversation
Introduction
Gestures play an important role in everyday communication (Kendon, 1997). They provide additional information to conversation partners about the meaning of verbal utterances and help to clarify even abstract concepts. There is evidence that gestures are not simply produced for the benefit of the listener but also support the speaker (Krauss, Chen, & Chawla, 1996; McNeill, Cassell, & McCullough, 1994). The relationship between speech and gesture is of great theoretical interest. Indeed the strong ties between speech and gesture have stimulated discussions about the neurological links between the modalities and the possible gestural origins of language.
Because of the importance of gesture in communication, several studies have investigated the use of gestures in aphasia (see Rose, 2006 for review). It is important to know how people with aphasia (PWA) use gesture as an accompaniment to speech, as a compensatory modality and during word-finding difficulties. Such knowledge can contribute to potential treatment regimes and may point to strategies that can assist everyday communication. Studying gesture use in people with compromised language can also contribute to the theoretical debate about the relationship between the modalities.
Most studies to date have focused on the effects of gesture in structured naming tasks, rather than in more natural conversation.
Methods
Aims
This study examines the natural conversational use of gestures in aphasic speech and addresses several research questions. This presentation focuses only on the following research questions:
(1)To what extend to PWA and neurologically healthy participants (NHP) employ semantically rich gestures (i.e., gestures that convey stand alone meanings or reflect an aspect of the spoken discourse)? What impact does their semantic competence have on gesture production?
(2)Do semantically rich gestures take different roles during conversation (facilitative, communicative, augmentative, compensatory)?
(3)Do different topics, for example, narrative (i.e., telling about a life event) and procedural (i.e., describing a process) elicit different gesture patterns?
Procedures
Language and conversation data of 20 PWA and 21 NHP have been collected. Extensive background testing of PWA has been done including tests of lexical semantics and non-verbal semantics.
Conversation samples of eight minutes in total have been collected. Video samples have been transcribed and analysed for gesture production, speech production and word-finding difficulties. Semantically rich gestures (e.g., they reflect concrete or abstract reference in the discourse (iconic, metaphoric and air writing & number gestures) or convey meaning in their own right (pantomime and emblem gestures)) were contrasted with semantically empty gestures (e.g., they refer to places or objects (deictic gestures) or mark speech rhythm (beat gestures). The roles of semantically rich gestures were coded to determine if participants are using gesture mainly to supplement speech, to replace speech or to facilitate lexical retrieval.
The following methods are being used in the analysis:
(1)All semantically rich gestures are identified within the conversation.
(2)Semantically rich gestures which occur during a word finding difficulty (i.e. which occur within three seconds of word finding behaviour and before the next utterance) will be either categorised as being facilitative or communicative.
a.If the word finding difficulty is resolved, the gesture will be categorised as being facilitative.
b.If the word finding difficulty is not resolved (by the speaker), the gesture will be categorised as being communicative.
(3)All other semantically rich gestures will be either categorised as being augmentative or compensatory.
a.If a gesture occurs alongside speech and supplements it, it is considered as being augmentative.
b.If a gesture is produced to replace speech, it will be categorised as being compensatory.
Results
The data analysis is on-going and results for both PWA and NHP will be available for presentation at the conference.
Preliminary results indicate that PWA used significantly more semantically rich gestures than semantically empty ones (t(15) = 5.229, p < .05). Surprisingly, the semantic impairment did not correlate with the use of semantically rich gestures (rs = .053, n.s.; rs = .171, n.s.). Overall, semantically rich gestures took different roles (X2(3) = 34.956, p < .05). Most semantically rich gestures were produced during a procedural than a narrative conversation (t(15) = -2.538, p < .05).
Discussion
Semantically rich gestures play an important role in conversation for PWA. They can take different roles with many gestures being produced alongside speech (augmentative gestures) and those facilitating lexical access (facilitative gestures). Only a small number of gestures replace speech (compensatory gestures). Finding out more about the different roles of gestures in speech production, helps us to better understand the relationship between language and gestures. This is vital for gestures to be implemented into aphasia therapy
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Semantisch reiche Gesten und ihre Funktion im GesprÀch
Hintergrund und Fragestellung
AlltĂ€gliche Kommunikation beschrĂ€nkt sich nicht nur auf den verbalen Austausch von Information. Vielmehr spielen auch Gesten eine wesentliche Rolle. Bei Sichtkontakt vermitteln sie dem GesprĂ€chspartner zusĂ€tzliche Informationen und tragen auch zur ErklĂ€rung abstrakter Inhalte bei. Studien weisen darauf hin, dass Gesten nicht nur zugunsten des GesprĂ€chspartners produziert werden, sondern dass sie auch den Sprecher unterstĂŒtzen. Durch ihre Bedeutung im GesprĂ€ch hat die Gestenproduktion bei Aphasie einen zentralen Bestandteil in der Forschung. Es ist wichtig, herauszufinden, wie Aphasiker (im Vergleich zu Sprachgesunden) Gesten sowohl sprachbegleitend als auch sprachersetzend im GesprĂ€ch einsetzen. Dieses Wissen kann einen Einfluss auf mögliche Behandlungsmethoden haben und Strategien aufzeigen, die die alltĂ€gliche Kommunikation unterstĂŒtzen. Desweiteren kann die Erforschung der Gestenproduktion bei SpracheinschrĂ€nkung auch zur theoretischen Diskussion ĂŒber die Beziehungen zwischen Sprache und Gestik beitragen. Die meisten Studien haben sich bisher ĂŒberwiegend auf die Auswirkungen von Gestik in strukturierten Benennaufgaben konzentriert. Diese Studie untersucht den Einsatz sprachbegleitender Gestik in natĂŒrlichen GesprĂ€chssituationen, um so eine Reihe von relevanten Forschungsfragen zu beantworten: (1) In welchem AusmaĂ produzieren Aphasiker und Kontrollpersonen semantisch reiche Gesten? (2) Welche Auswirkungen haben semantische Kompetenzen auf die Gestenproduktion? (3) Ăbernehmen semantisch reiche Gesten im GesprĂ€ch verschiedene Funktionen? Gibt es unterschiedliche Verteilungsmuster fĂŒr Aphasiker und Kontrollpersonen? (4) Rufen verschiedene GesprĂ€chsthemen (d.h. narrative und prozedurale) unterschiedliche Gesten hervor?
Methodik
20 Aphasiker und 21 neurologisch gesunde Kontrollpersonen haben an der Studie teilgenommen. Im Vorfeld wurden eine Reihe linguistisch-kognitiver Tests durchgefĂŒhrt, inklusive Tests zur Ermittlung verbaler und non-verbaler semantischer FĂ€higkeiten. Insgesamt wurden sechzehn Minuten an narrative und prozeduralen GesprĂ€chsdaten erhoben. Videodaten wurden transkribiert und in Bezug auf Sprach- und Gestenproduktion analysiert. Semantisch reiche Gesten (ikonische, metaphorische, pantomimische, emblematische Gesten und Luftschreiben & Zahlen) wurden semantisch leeren Gesten (deiktische Gesten, Beats und andere Gesten) gegenĂŒber gestellt. Weiterhin wurden Wortfindungsstörungen (WFS) und deren Kombination mit Gesten identifiziert, um verschiedene Funktionen semantisch reicher Gesten (fazilitativ, kommunikativ, unterstĂŒtzend und ersetzend) zu ermitteln.
Ergebnisse
Sowohl Aphasiker als auch Kontrollpersonen verwendeten signifikant mehr semantisch reiche Gesten als semantisch leere (F (1,37) = 22.057, p < .001). Dies war insbesondere in den prozeduralen GesprĂ€chen der Fall (F (1, 39) = 61.485, p < .001). Unterschiede zeigten sich bei den verschiedenen Funktionen der Gesten: Beide Gruppen verwendeten rund 50% aller Gesten zum Lösen von WFS. WĂ€hrend die andere HĂ€lfte bei den Kontrollpersonen ĂŒberwiegend sprachbegleitend zur zusĂ€tzlichen Informationsvermittlung eingesetzt wurde, gestikulierten Aphasiker zum groĂen Teil wĂ€hrend nicht gelöster WFS. Sprachersetzende Gesten traten bei beiden Gruppen nur sehr selten auf. Ăberraschenderweise konnte bei den Aphasikern kein Zusammenhang zwischen verbalen und non-verbalen semantischen FĂ€higkeiten und der Produktion dieser Gesten festgestellt werden (rs (17) = .230, n.s.; rs (17) = .362, n.s.).
Diskussion
Die Studie bestĂ€tigt vorausgehende Ergebnisse, dass in Bezug auf Anzahl und Art der Gesten kein Unterschied zwischen Aphasikern und Kontrollpersonen festgestellt werden konnte. Erst mit der weiteren Betrachtung der Gestenfunktion wurden Unterschiede sichtbar: WĂ€hrend Kontrollpersonen Gesten ĂŒberwiegend zur eigenen UnterstĂŒtzung oder zur Untermalung des Gesprochenen verwendeten, gestikulierten Aphasiker mehr fĂŒr ihren GesprĂ€chspartner und zogen ihn in die aktive Suche bei WFS ein.
Literatur
Kendon, A. (1997). Gesture. Annual Review of Anthropology, 26, 109-128.
Krauss, R. M., Chen, Y., & Chawla, P. (1996). Nonverbal behavior and nonverbal communication: What do conversational hand gestures tell us? In M. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (pp. 389-450). Diego, CA: Academic Press.
McNeill, D., Cassell, J., & McCullough, K.-E. (1994). Communicative effects of speech-mismatched gestures. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 27(3), 223-237.
Rose, M. L. (2006). The utility of arm and hand gestures in the treatment of aphasia. Advances in Speech-Language Pathology, 8(2), 92-109. Wilkinson, R. (2010). Interaction-focused intervention: A conversation analytic approach to aphasia therapy. Journal of Interactional Research in Communication Disorders, 1(1), 45-68
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Die Funktion semantisch reicher Gesten im Gespraech bei Aphasie
Hintergrund und Fragestellung Gesten spielen eine wesentliche Rolle in alltĂ€glichen GesprĂ€chssituationen. Sie vermitteln dem GesprĂ€chspartner zusĂ€tzliche Informationen zum Gesprochenen und tragen auch zur ErklĂ€rung abstrakter Inhalte bei. Studien weisen darauf hin, dass Gesten nicht nur zugunsten des GesprĂ€chspartners produziert werden, sondern dass sie auch den Sprecher unterstĂŒtzen. Die Beziehungen zwischen Sprache und Gestik sind von groĂem theroretischem Interesse und insbesondere die starken Bindungen zwischen Sprache und Gestik haben Diskussionen ĂŒber die neurologischen Verbindungen der verschiedenen ModalitĂ€ten und deren möglichen genetischen Ursprung angeregt. Durch ihre Bedeutung im GesprĂ€ch hat die Gestenproduktion bei Aphasie einen zentralen Bestandteil in der Forschung. Es ist wichtig, herauszufinden, wie Aphasiker Gesten sowohl sprachbegleitend als auch sprachersetzend im GesprĂ€ch einsetzen. Dieses Wissen kann einen Einfluss auf mögliche Behandlungsmethoden haben und Strategien aufzeigen, die die alltĂ€gliche Kommunikation unterstĂŒtzen. Desweiteren kann die Erforschung der Gestenproduktion bei SpracheinschrĂ€nkung auch zur theoretischen Diskussion ĂŒber die Beziehungen zwischen Sprache und Gestik beitragen. Die meisten Studien haben sich bisher ĂŒberwiegend auf die Auswirkungen von Gestik in strukturierten Benennaufgaben konzentriert. Diese Studie untersucht den Einsatz sprachbegleitender Gestik in natĂŒrlichen GesprĂ€chssituationen, um so eine Reihe von relevanten Forschungsfragen zu beantworten: (1) In welchem AusmaĂ produzieren Aphasiker semantisch reiche Gesten? (2) Welche Auswirkungen haben semantische Kompetenzen auf die Gestenproduktion? (3) Ăbernehmen semantisch reiche Gesten im GesprĂ€ch verschiedene Funktionen? (4) Rufen verschiedene GesprĂ€chsthemen (d.h. narrative und prozedurale) unterschiedliche Gesten hervor
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The role of semantically rich gestures in aphasic conversation
Background: Gestures are spontaneous hand and arm movements that frequently accompany speech and play an important role in everyday communication (Kendon, 1997). Many gestures are semantically rich; for example, they reflect concrete or abstract reference in the discourse (iconic, metaphoric and air writing & number gestures) or convey meaning in their own right (pantomime and emblem gestures). Other gestures are semantically empty; for example, they refer to places or objects (deictic gestures) or mark speech rhythm (beat gestures). Finding out more about the different roles of gestures in speech production, helps us to better understand the relationship between language and gestures. This novel study addresses the following research questions:
(1) To what extend do PWA and neurologically healthy participants (NHP) employ semantically rich gestures (iconic, metaphoric, pantomime, emblem and air writing & numbers) in comparison to semantically empty gestures (deictic, beat and other)? What impact does the semantic competence of PWA have on gesture production?
(2) Do semantically rich gestures take different roles (facilitative, communicative, augmentative, compensatory) during conversation?
(3) Do different conversation topics (i.e., narrative and procedural) elicit different gesture patterns
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The use of semantically rich gestures in aphasic conversation
Background: Gestures play an important role in everyday communication. They provide additional information to conversation partners about the meaning of verbal utterances and help to clarify even abstract concepts. There is evidence that gestures are not simply produced for the benefit of the listener but also support the speaker. The relationship between speech and gesture is of great theoretical interest. Indeed the strong ties between speech and gesture have stimulated discussions about the neurological links between the modalities and the possible gestural origins of language. Because of the importance of gesture in communication, several studies have investigated the use of gestures in aphasia. Aphasia is a speech and language disorder caused by damage to the language areas of the brain e.g. because of stroke. It is important to know how people with aphasia (PWA) use gesture as both an accompaniment to speech and as a compensatory modality. Such knowledge can contribute to potential treatment regimes and may point to strategies that can assist everyday communication. Studying gesture use in people with compromised language can also contribute to the theoretical debate about the relationship between the modalities. Most studies to date have focused on the effects of gesture in structured naming tasks, rather than in more natural conversation
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The use of gestures in the conversations of people with aphasia
Background: Gestures are spontaneous hand and arm movements that frequently accompany speech and play an important role in everyday communication. When communication is impaired by aphasia, gestures are affected as well. It is important to find out how people with aphasia (PWA) use gesture as an accompaniment to speech, as a compensatory modality, and during lexical retrieval. This novel study examined the use and functions of gesture in conversation and investigated parameters (i.e., conversation partner, topic, and participant factors) that could have an influence on gesture production.
Methodology: Language and conversation data of 20 PWA and 21 neurologically healthy participants (NHP) were collected. Participants took part in conversations with two conversation partners (familiar and unfamiliar) and two conversation topics (narrative and procedural). Video samples were analysed for gesture production, speech production, and word-finding difficulties (WFD).
Results: The two groups of participants produced a similar number of gestures (t (37) = -1.060, p = .296). Gesture type was not examined statistically but showed some marginal differences between groups. Unfamiliar conversation partners elicited significantly more gestures than familiar conversation partners (F (1, 37) = 24.358, p < .001). Additionally, participants produced significantly more gestures in procedural than in narrative topics (F (1, 37) =44.807, p < .001). While all participants experienced a similar number of WFD, there was a difference between PWA and NHP regarding gesture production and resolution of WFD: NHP resolved the majority of all WFD, independent of a co-occurring gesture. Nevertheless, for PWA and NHP, there was a significant relationship between gesture production and the resolution of the WFD (X2 (1) = 12.356, p < .01 for PWA and X2 (1) = 40.657, p < .01 for NHP), indicating that WFD that occurred with gestures were more likely to be resolved than WFD that occurred without gesture production. Participants used gestures with different functions, such as facilitative gestures to resolve WFD or augmentative gestures to supplement speech. For PWA, different participant factures, such as fluency of speech (rs (17) = .487, p = .035), lexical production skills (rs (17) = .584, p = .009), and cognition (rs (17) = .582, p = .009) were linked to gesture production.
Conclusions: These findings shed light on gesture processing and the different functions gestures can serve within conversation. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of pragmatic influence, such as conversation topic and conversation partner on the production of gestures. The significant relationships between participant factors and gesture production in aphasia extend the understanding of relevant skills needed to successfully employ gestures in conversation. Next to language skills, such as speech fluency and lexical retrieval, cognitive skills affected gesture production as well
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