Effects of Semantic Feature Analysis on Verb Production in Aphasia

This investigation was designed to examine the effects of Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) applied to the retrieval of action names in aphasia. A multiple baseline design across behaviors and subjects was used to examine the effects of treatment with four participants with chronic aphasia. Results revealed improved ability to name targeted verbs for three of the four participants with no generalization to non-targeted verbs. The results demonstrate that SFA treatment may have potential for promoting improved action naming for some speakers with aphasia, but that treatment may not generalize to untreated verbs

Apraxia of speech: perceptual analysis of trisyllabic word productions across repeated sampling occasions

Journal ArticleEarly apraxia of speech (AOS) research has characterized errors as being variable, resulting in a number of different error types being produced on repeated productions of the same stimuli. Conversely, recent research has uncovered greater consistency in errors, but there are limited data examining sound errors over time (more than one occasion). Furthermore, the influence of conditions of stimulus presentation (blocked vs. random) on sound errors remains uncertain. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of repeated sampling and conditions of stimulus presentation on speech sound errors for 11 speakers with AOS/aphasia

Sound production treatment: application with severe apraxia of speech

Journal ArticleAcquired apraxia of speech (AOS) has been shown to be responsive to behavioural intervention. Although numerous treatments for AOS have been developed, most have received limited study. Specifically, the AOS treatment evidence base is compromised by a lack of replication of treatment effects. Sound Production Treatment (SPT; Wambaugh, Kalinyak-Fliszar, West, & Doyle, 1998) has undergone more systematic examination than other AOS treatments and has been documented to result in predictable improvements in consonant production. However, SPT has not been studied with persons with severe AOS and perseverative speech behaviours. Aims: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the acquisition, response generalisation, and maintenance effects of SPT with a speaker with severe AOS, significant nonfluent aphasia, and verbal perseverations

Semantic feature analysis: Application to confrontation naming of actions in aphasia

pre-printBackground: Despite advances in the development and testing of therapies for verb retrieval impairments in aphasia, generalization effects of treatment remain a challenge. Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) is a word retrieval treatment that has been reported to result in generalized responding to untrained object names with persons with aphasia (Boyle, 2010). The theorized therapeutic mechanisms of SFA appeared to be appropriate for facilitating retrieval of trained and untrained action names. Aims: This investigation was designed to extend pilot research in which SFA was applied to verb retrieval (Wambaugh & Ferguson, 2007). The primary purpose of the current study was to examine the acquisition and response generalization effects of SFA applied to action naming with four persons with chronic aphasia. Additional purposes were to examine changes in production of content in discourse and to explore the correspondence of accuracy of naming during treatment to probe performance. Methods & Procedures: SFA was modified slightly to be appropriate for application to action naming as opposed to object naming; several feature categories were changed, but all other procedures were retained. Treatment was applied sequentially to two sets of action names in the context of multiple baseline designs across behaviors and participants. Accuracy of naming of trained and untrained actions in probes was measured repeatedly throughout all phases of the design. Production of correct information units (CIUs) in discourse was measured prior to and following treatment. The relationship of probe naming performance to naming performance during treatment sessions was examined using correlational analyses. Outcomes & Results: Increased accuracy of naming of trained action names was associated with treatment for three of the four participants. The remaining participant did not demonstrate improvement in naming on probes despite some gains during treatment. Generalization to Running Head: SFA - Action Naming 3 untrained action names did not occur for any of the participants. Increases in CIU production were observed for only one of the participants. For the participants with positive naming outcomes, probe performance correlated well with naming performance during treatment. For the participant who demonstrated some improvements in treatment, but did not show gains in naming on probes, weak correlations were obtained. Conclusions: SFA appears to have potential for promoting improved action naming in aphasia. However, more research is warranted to explore treatment modifications to promote generalization. Correlational analyses indicated that gains in naming during treatment may not always be reflected in probe performance and thus, require verification through probing in non-treatment conditions

Variability in Apraxia of Speech: A Perceptual, Acoustic, and Kinematic Analysis of Stop Consonants

This investigation was designed to examine articulatory variability over time in an individual with AOS and aphasia. Stimuli were randomly presented on three sampling occasions and stop consonant productions were examined via perceptual, acoustic and kinematic analyses. Findings revealed that predictability of errors across sampling time varied by sound. The same error frequently occurred for a sound within a sampling time, but infrequently on the same word. Acoustic and kinematic measurements also indicated different patterns of variability for sounds

Effects of Repetition and Rate/Rhythm Treatments for Acquired Apraxia of Speech

This investigation was designed to elucidate the effects of repeated practice treatment on sound production in AOS and to determine if the addition of rate/rhythm control to treatment provided further benefits. A combined multiple baseline and ABCA design was employed with five speakers with chronic AOS and aphasia. Accuracy of articulation of target items in probes served as the dependent measure. Substantial improvements in articulation were associated with repeated practice treatment for three of the participants, with minimal gains observed for the remaining two participants. Rate/rhythm control resulted in additional gains for two of the participants

Apraxia of Speech: Perceptual Analysis of Trisyllabic Words Across Repeated Sampling Occasions

Apraxia of Speech: Perceptual Analysis of Trisyllabic Words Across Repeated Sampling Occasion

Effects of Repeated Practice and Practice Plus Pacing Control on Sound Production Accuracy in Acquired Apraxia of Speech

Rate control or pacing treatments for AOS have been reported to result in increased accuracy of sound productions without instructions concerning articulation. A combined multiple baseline and ABCA design was used to examine the effects of repeated practice alone and repeated practice plus rate/pacing control on consonant production accuracy in five speakers with moderate AOS and aphasia. All speakers demonstrated improvements in articulatory accuracy with repeated practice alone. Rate/pacing treatment was not necessary in some cases because high levels of performance were achieved with repeated practice alone. When applied, rate/pacing treatment resulted in additional gains

Apraxia of Speech: Perceptual Analysis of Mono-, Bi-, and Trisyllabic Words Across Repeated Sampling Occasions

The primary characteristics considered to define acquired apraxia of speech (AOS) have continued to evolve, but a few characteristics remain controversial among researchers and clinicians (McNeil, Robin, & Schmidt, 2009). Particularly, the consistency or variability of speech sound errors in AOS (Croot, 2002). For years, variability of speech sound errors has been considered a primary characteristic of AOS (Deal & Darley, 1972; Johns & Darley, 1970; Wertz, LaPointe, & Rosenbek, 1984). Apraxic errors were considered to be variable with regard to the location of the error within a word (Johns & Darley; LaPointe & Johns, 1975) and the nature of the error (Johns & Darley; LaPointe & Horner, 1976) across repeated productions of the same stimuli. Conversely, more recent research with “pure” apraxic speakers and speakers with AOS and accompanying aphasia has suggested that speech sound errors may not be variable (Mauszycki, Dromey, & Wambaugh, 2007; Mauszycki, Wambaugh, & Cameron, 2010a, 2010b; Mlcoch, Darley, & Noll, 1982; McNeil, Odell, Miller, & Hunter, 1995; Shuster & Wambaugh, 2003; Wambaugh, Nessler, Bennett & Mauszycki, 2004). However, there are limited data examining sound errors over time (i.e., beyond a single session). Furthermore, the influence of conditions of stimuli presentation on sound errors remains uncertain. The purpose of this investigation was to further examine variability of speech production in individuals with AOS and aphasia. Of specific interest were the effects of repeated sampling and conditions of stimulus presentation (i.e., random and blocked by sound) on the variability of error types identified using narrow phonetic transcription

Maximizing Generalization Effects of Semantic Feature Analysis

Numerous treatments have been developed that have successfully facilitated naming in aphasia (see Laine & Martin, 2006 for a review). However, in most cases, positive treatment effects have been observed primarily with trained items, with limited improvements in untrained items. That is, response generalization remains a challenge in the treatment of anomia