Non-linguistic abilities in aphasia

Abstract

Background: Understanding the pattern of non-linguistic abilities in aphasia has been a controversial question. We hypothesized that only some aphasia patients, particularly patients with fluent forms of aphasia and global aphasia, would present deficits in non-linguistic abilities.

Methods & procedures: We studied 200 vascular aphasia patients (119 men and 81 women; mean age = 57.37 years, SD = 15.56) at the Cognitive Communicative Speech Language Pathology Unit at the Clinical Hospital University of Chile (Santiago, Chile). The mean time post onset was 6.57 months (SD = 12.94). The Spanish versions of Western Aphasia Battery Revised (SWAB-R) and the Spanish version of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (SBDAE) were administered. We used the SWAB-R Part 1 to determine the aphasia severity (Aphasia Quotient: AQ). SWAB-R Part 2 was used to study nonverbal abilities; a Non-Linguistic Quotient (NLQ) was calculated. The SBDAE was used in determining the type of aphasia.

Outcomes & results: Deficits were particularly evident in Global, Mixed non-fluent, and Transcortical Motor aphasia, followed by Wernicke and Transcortical Sensory aphasia. Deficits were mildest in Amnesic, Conduction, and Broca aphasia. Correlation between linguistic and non-linguistic deficits were found to be statistically significant.

Conclusion: Our results support previous studies: non-linguistic abilities can be affected in aphasia, but there is an important variability. Some aphasia patients can present non-linguistic deficits. Verbal and nonverbal deficits are significantly correlated, suggesting some communality in their brain organization.