Remediation of language processing in aphasia: Improving activation and maintenance of linguistic representations in (verbal) short-term memory

摘要

Background: Verbal short-term memory (STM) impairments are invariably present in aphasia. Word processing involves a minimal form of verbal STM, i.e., the time course over which semantic and phonological representations are activated and maintained until they are comprehended, produced, or repeated. Thus it is reasonable that impairments of word processing and verbal STM may co-occur. The co-occurrence of language and STM impairments in aphasia has motivated an active area of research that has revealed much about the relationship of these two systems and the effect of their impairment on language function and verbal learning (Freedman & Martin, 200123. Freedman , M. L. and R. Martin , R. C . 2001 . Dissociable components of short-term memory and their relation to long-term learning . Cognitive Neuropsychology , 18 : 193 - 226 . [Taylor & Francis Online], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®], [CSA]View all references; Martin & Saffran, 199948. Martin , N. and Saffran , E.M. 1999 . Effects of word processing and short-term memory deficits on verbal learning: Evidence from aphasia . International Journal of Psychology , 34 ( 5/6 ) : 330 - 346 . [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®]View all references; Trojano & Grossi, 199570. Trojano , L. and Grossi , D. 1995 . Phonological and lexical coding in verbal short-term-memory and learning . Brain and Language , 51 ( 2 ) : 336 - 354 . [CrossRef], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®], [CSA]View all references). In keeping with this view a number of researchers have developed treatment protocols to improve verbal STM in order to improve language function (e.g., Koenig-Bruhin & Studer-Eichenberger, 200733. Koenig-Bruhin , M. and Studer-Eichenberger , F. 2007 . Therapy of verbal short-term memory disorders in fluent aphasia: A single case study . Aphasiology , 21 ( 5 ) : 448 - 458 . [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®]View all references). This account of aphasia predicts that treatment of a fundamental ability, such as STM, which supports language function, should lead to improvements that generalise to content and tasks beyond those implemented in treatment.