The relationships between cognitive and linguistic performances of Cantonese-speakers with aphasia : preliminary findings

Abstract

 It has been frequently observed that approximately 30% of stroke survivors have aphasia and cognitive dysfunction. The present study investigated the presence of cognitive deficits and the relationships between cognitive and linguistic performances among 23 Cantonese-speakers with aphasia (PWA). Results indicated that all participants demonstrated some degree of cognitive impairment in the domain of attention, executive functions, short-term and working memory. Additionally, results of the multiple regression analyses indicated that sustained and selective attentions were significant predictors of word production and comprehension, while executive functions and working memory significantly contributed to performances on sentence comprehension and discourse production among PWA. The present study filled a gap in the literature by revealing which specific cognitive component contributes to language performances at each linguistic level, i.e. word, sentence, discourse, based on data from PWA. Clinically, the study provides empirical support for including cognitive assessment or screening in any assessment protocol for PWA, so as to optimize therapeutic efforts. Besides, cognitive training on specific cognitive components may also be considered while one is providing language treatment to PWA.